H.A.L.F.: The Makers (17 page)

Thunderous stone pounding erupted.

Councilman U’Fengh did not stand but held up his hand to command silence. He was nearly as old as Vrath and highly respected by all who sat on the council. His beard had once glistened black and hung past his knees. It was now mostly grey and scraggly, hanging barely to his chest. “The council is confident that you and your men have planned well for these tests, U’Vol. Our scientists rose to this new and intriguing challenge. Your ship – and your men – will be armed with the most advanced systems to aid your hunt that any Vree’Kah expedition has ever known.”

U’Vol rapped his own stone, as did all the others to show their support of this statement. Anything less than three stone raps to such a declaration would be seen as unpatriotic.

U’Vol knew he had to step lightly now. He had somehow been backed into a corner. It was clear he would get nowhere urging caution about the technological capacity of the Sarhi. It was time to approach it from the last prong.

He raised his hand, and silence fell over the hall. U’Vol’s eyes bored into Doj’Owa’s as he spoke. “The M’Uktah are the great people that we are because we united many millennia ago in our praise of Doj and Doj’Madi, the two faces of the one true God.” Stones rapped their agreement. “We hunt in praise of Doj. We seek blessings of Doj’Madi that she will grace us with powerful jaws and strong backs so that we may feed our people.” The rapping grew louder, but Doj’Owa sat still and silent, staring back at U’Vol without flinching. “How then can we defile the teachings of Doj by harvesting a species that knows God?”

The stone pounding abruptly stopped. All eyes turned to Doj’Owa.

U’Fengh spoke again. “What are you saying? That these Sarhi know Doj?”

Whispers rose as the councilmen discussed the revelation.

Doj’Owa rose to her feet again and rapped her stone loudly on the table. The mumbling voices stopped.

Her eyes narrowed at U’Vol, but she composed her face and spoke quietly and softly to the council. “As the spiritual leader of the M’Uktah and the embodiment of Doj’Madi on this plane, I assure this great council that these Sarhi do not know Doj. They are a people of many false gods, not the one true God, Doj.”

The stone rapping began again.

Doj’Owa raised her hand and continued. “And as stated in the Frieze canticle, ‘There is but one God, and thou shall know me by the name Doj, and I am the embodiment of the male and the female, of the sun and the rain, of night and day. And any who do not know me is without God and base and shall be cast down and subservient to the people of Doj.’”

The stone rapping swelled to a thunderous frenzy. Doj’Owa had outplayed him.
How can I argue against the mandate of God?

He sat, conceding the council floor and the petition to Doj’Owa. She nodded curtly then sat too.

But as with all council matters, the final decision was for the Lij. Vrath loved U’Vol well, that was certain. And he had often been the deciding factor in U’Vol’s favor.

Today, though, would not be a day that he would override the clear vote of the council and incur the lasting wrath of Doj’Owa to favor U’Vol. Even Vrath did not have enough political capital to pull that off.

All eyes looked to the old man. His chin rested on his cane and he looked thoughtful, building the tension of the silence and increasing the weight of his proclamation. At last he said simply, “Petition of U’Baht Vree denied. The
Dra’Knar
shall fly as soon as the Mocht Bogha stabilizes.”

Another round of thunderous stone clapping began as Vrath rose. The rest of them rose as well and remained standing while a servant came forward and assisted Vrath off his dais. As he passed U’Vol, the mighty hunter bent to one knee and bowed his head low. Even though U’Vol kneeled, his head still came to Vrath’s chest. The Lij stopped, bent and kissed the top of U’Vol’s shiny, bald head.

“I shall pray for your safe return,” Vrath whispered.

Erika tried to wrap her head around what Dr. Randall had said. “You built it?”

“It’s incredible. Unbelievable, really. But it’s true. We’re here but not here.”

Dr. Randall made no sense. She had an urge to smack him so he’d snap out of whatever delusion he’d stepped into. His eyes were wide, his movements feverish.
He’s finally gone off the deep end. And I’m not far behind him.

Erika took his hand. “Dr. Randall, stop.”

Tears rimmed his eyes. He smiled so widely she thought his scruffy face might crack. “We’re on Earth. Future Earth, anyway.”

“But the Conexus – they’re aliens, right? I mean, look at them. And they took us in their ship. This can’t be –”

“Oh, it is. It most certainly is. We’re at A.H.D.N.A.”

“No. You’re wrong.”

“I may be old, but I’m not senile. I know where I am.”

Erika didn’t know if she should be excited, relieved or sad. Another option was to throw in the towel and allow herself to fall into the same oxygen-, food- and fresh-air-deprived madness that had taken over Dr. Randall.

“So you’re saying that – what? We’re in the future?”

“Yes. A future anyway. That’s why it’s all corroded. Time – many years – though how long I can’t say. Fascinating.” Dr. Randall roved his hands over the wall of pipes and tubes, his fingers trembling.

He was talking science fiction. Of course, Erika had thought that aliens visiting Earth was science fiction too until it happened before her eyes.

Dr. Randall inspected wires and pushed buttons. Nothing happened. The ancient waterworks machine was as corroded and rusty as a tin can in a rainforest.

“What are you trying to do?” Erika asked.

“The computer systems are shot, of course. I don’t know if any of the conduits in the ceilings and walls are intact. But if I can get to the manual override, maybe I can release the master valve. That will allow water to flow into the conduits.”

“And if we pump up the humidity –”

“Then it will weaken the Conexus and give us a fighting chance.” Dr. Randall grinned at her.

Xenos stood as still as a statue, her eyes fixed on the great wall of human ingenuity that used to deliver a potent dose of sedation to Tex. Her eyes were wide and fixed, and she visibly trembled.

“Are you okay?” Erika asked.

Xenos stared blankly. “It is forbidden. It was very wrong of me to bring you here. Now the old man is touching the forbidden wall. They said not to touch it. They said it would destroy us – our whole world. It is wrong. Very wrong.”

Erika reached toward Xenos in an attempt to take her hand and calm her. But the Infractus cowered away. Erika had lived a life free of cruelty to other living things. Now this small being who had helped them so much was afraid of her touch.

“Please. Don’t be afraid.”

Xenos continued to tremble and she backed up a few steps.

“Please. I won’t hurt you. We need to get the water flowing again. It’s our only hope of being able to get the medicine for Ian and to leave here,” said Erika.

“Water will make them sick,” Xenos said.

“Yes.”

“It will make me sick as well.”

Erika hadn’t considered that fact. She had been so focused on finding a way to get past the Conexus that she’d forgotten how the moisture – if they could get it to work – would sedate Xenos as well.
And Tex, wherever he is.
She chastised herself for caring what happened to the guy who had given them over to the Conexus to be used as guinea pigs for testing an epidemic that she feared they planned to unleash on her world.
The world of my time anyway.
She steeled herself from caring about him, pushing thoughts of Tex aside and into the same container in her mind that housed Commander Sturgis and Alecto.

“I promise. I will do what I can to keep you safe. Even if I have to take you with us back to Earth – or the past.”

Xenos tilted her head as she did whenever Erika told her something that she didn’t seem to understand. “You will take me with you? Away from here?”

The promise had tumbled out of Erika’s mouth without thinking it through. But the bell had been rung. She couldn’t unring it now. “Sure. You help us get to that ship, or time travel machine or whatever the hell it is, and you can come with us. You’ll be free, Xenos.”

“Free?” She tilted her head again like a dog trying to figure out a strange sound.

“Yeah. Free. It means you’ll be able to do what you want. And you’ll see outside. Where I live, we don’t live underground.”

Xenos’ eyes were once again wide with fear. “Infractus will die outside.”

“No, you won’t. You may here on this planet – or this time. But where I live, outside is fine. I promise, you won’t die outside. In fact, you’ll probably feel better than you’ve ever felt before. My friend – I mean former friend – Tex, is an Infractus too. He had powers – where I live – when he was outside. You probably will too.”

Dr. Randall shouted, “Eureka!” and startled both Erika and Xenos.

“Did you find the master switchy-thingy?” Erika asked.

“I think I found the manual override valve. It’s so dark in here and there’s so much corrosion, it’s hard to find things. But I’ve got my hand on it. It’s back behind this mess of wires. I’m trying to – trying to crank it.” Dr. Randall was breathing hard.

“Is it moving?”

“No. Too much corrosion.”

Erika searched the ground for something to beat on it with. If they could knock some of the rust away, maybe it would move. But the ground was covered in bits of thin, rusted metal scraps that crumbled in her hands, piles of crumbled concrete and threads of felled wires.

Dr. Randall cursed and stepped away from the wall. “Son of a –”

“Are you okay?”

“Yes. I pinched my hand back there. Dammit. I need a wrench. I just don’t have the upper-body strength to get the kind of leverage I need to turn it.” He rubbed his hands through his hair, took off his glasses and wiped sweat from his face with his filthy shirt sleeve.

If Tex were there, he’d likely be able to turn the valve with his mind.
He’s probably in a cozy, warm spot with his Conexus buddies.

“Xenos, do you think you could open the valve with your mind?” Erika hadn’t seen Xenos use telekinesis, but it seemed likely that if both Alecto and Tex had the ability, Xenos would as well.

“I am Infractus and forbidden to –”

“Yeah, yeah. Forbidden. They’ve got a lot of rules for you. But if you ever want to be free, you’re going to need to start sometime. Dr. Randall, show her the valve you’re talking about.”

Dr. Randall motioned for Xenos to come to the wall. She hesitated. She had apparently been conditioned to fear much in life, including going anywhere near the wall of water.
That one I can understand, though.
Tex had nearly died from high humidity.

Dr. Randall held his hand out to her, and she finally took it. Xenos, standing under five feet tall, was too short to see the valve that Dr. Randall needed to turn. He grabbed the small Infractus around the waist and hoisted her into the air. She let out a startled gasp.

“Don’t worry. I won’t hurt you. There. Behind those dangling wires. Do you see it? The round wheel?”

“Yes. I see the wheel.”

“You need to spin it counterclockwise.”

“I do not understand.”

Dr. Randall huffed from the exertion of holding her up. He gently placed her back on the ground. “Of course you don’t. No clocks.” He used his finger to point to the air. “Turn it this way.” He motioned to his left.

“You will take me away from Tro? You will take me with you?”

“I promise. If we get out, you’re coming with us,” Erika said.

Xenos stood motionless as though contemplating what to do. Finally she nodded and closed her eyes. Erika couldn’t tell if Xenos was concentrating or taking a nap. She remained motionless and utterly silent for several minutes.

Finally, there was a small but noticeable squeaking sound.

“You’re doing it,” Dr. Randall said. His voice was a whisper.

Xenos didn’t open her eyes. She remained fixed to the ground, her face toward the wall, her body still.

There was another squeak then a loud groan. It sounded like the loud echos of a whale song. It was as though the entire room where they stood moaned.

Xenos shrank back from the wall and covered her ears with her hands.

“Are you okay?” Erika asked.

“I have angered it. It is forbidden. I will be punished,” she said. Her face was writ with terror.

Erika took her again by the shoulders but more gently this time. “It’s okay. I’ll protect you. I promise.” Erika hoped that she could make good on the promise. “Do you think it worked?” she asked Dr. Randall.

“I don’t know. Something’s happening.”

Just as Dr. Randall finished his thought, there was a distinct gurgling sound.

“Water,” Erika said. The mere thought of water brightened her mood. It had been so long since she’d felt rain on her face or the gentle spray of a shower on her body. She longed to fling herself into a pool or stand under a showerhead for hours, allowing herself to prune up.

“Yes,” Dr. Randall said. “It appears that it worked. At least water is flowing. Now whether it will get to the rest of A.H.D.N.A. I cannot say. But we’ve done what we can here.”

“Not quite. We should try to break off the valve if we can. That way they can’t undo our work,” Erika said.

Dr. Randall nodded. “If only we had a hammer or …” He searched the ground with his eyes.

“Can you lift me?” Erika asked.

Dr. Randall shrugged, took a deep breath and hoisted Erika into the air beside the wall of ancient waterworks.

She searched with her fingers and found the valve. “I hope it’s as rusty as the rest of this place.” She yanked as hard as she could. “I’ve got hold of it. Pull me.”

Dr. Randall grunted under her weight but kept hold of her as he pulled. Erika summoned all the strength she had and kept a tight grip on the valve. It squeaked beneath her fingers and she pulled harder. The ancient metal gave way, and she and Dr. Randall both fell to the ground. Water trickled from the hole where the valve used to be.

“We need to get out of here before it floods,” Erika said. She helped Dr. Randall up and grabbed Xenos’ hand. “Hurry, before you get wet.”