Cries of the Wolf Read online

  “Where did you go, Lael?” Meomi asked.

  “As Arlen told me about the history of the village, his story seemed to bookend an unusual tale of another town with the same name that lost all of its people overnight." She paused for a moment and rubbed her chin. "Have you ever heard about the Lost City of Antel?”

  Meomi searched her memory for the name before saying, “No. Should I?”

  “Nearly a century ago, around the time of the Colony Wars, Antel, the capital city of Nergal Prime, had all of its two million inhabitants disappear overnight.” Whisper typed into the wrist console and ordered Centuria-1 to patrol the perimeter. “Rescuers and humanitarians came looking for them, but found no clues as to how so many people could disappear all at once.”

  “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Meomi touched her lips. “All those people on Nergal Prime somehow came here? A mass exodus of two million people and no one saw them leave?" She scoffed. "You would need thousands of passenger transport ships. I don’t see how it could be possible for that large a migration to go undetected.”

  “A year ago, my definition of impossible was much broader.” Whisper dipped a cloth into the stream. “Nothing on this planet should be possible, yet it is.” She used the wet cloth to wipe the dirt and grime off Inoke’s face. “Besides, there are too many eerie similarities between the Antel on Nergal Prime and the Antel here on Dressa.”

  “Besides the name, what else?” Meomi raised her eyebrows.

  “For starters, Nergal Prime was colonized by Hashan pilgrims. Every citizen on the planet was an incredibly devout follower of the Hasha religion.”

  “But the Hashan religion is the most prolific religion in our galaxy.” Meomi refilled her canteen. “That’s not too much of a coincidence. And isn’t Nergal Prime in the Delta Quadrant? We were still a pre-warp society at the start of the Colony Wars. It would’ve taken multiple generations to make it here.” She handed the canteen to Whisper. “Even with high warp speeds, you’re looking at a multi-year trip.”

  “Everything you’re saying is true.” Whisper paused to quench her thirst. “I was very dubious myself. But then I remembered something. Dressa was not inhabitable as recently as twenty sol-years ago. Unless the atmospheric probe data was erroneous, there was no way for humans and most plant life to exist, let alone thrive as it does now.”

  Rayfin returned to the group. “I think I coughed up a lung, but I feel much better now. That tea they gave me really worked.” His eyes darted back and forth between Whisper and Meomi. “Did I interrupt something serious?”

  They both ignored Rayfin.

  “You’re right,” Meomi said with her hand underneath her chin.

  “I went through the town’s historical archives. The village elders kept track of families dating back many centuries. Everyone’s place of birth is listed as the City of Antel. How is that possible if this planet wasn’t inhabitable 20 years ago?”

  Meomi’s eyes widened. “OK, let’s say these are the residents from the Lost City of Antel on Nergal Prime. How did two million people get here? And where are the rest of the two million people?”

  “Captain Hana is right,” Rayfin said. “There’s no way that little murderous, cult town can support two million people. That tiny church of theirs probably can’t fit more than 200.”

  “You have some interesting facts, I’ll give you that." Meomi nodded at Whisper. "There are strong coincidences, but not all the pieces seem to support your theory.”

  “I suspect we’ll get more answers as we continue our mission,” Whisper said.

  “I certainly hope so. I’m tired of getting more questions than answers,” Meomi said.

  “How are you feeling, Rayfin?” Whisper stood next to him while typing into her forearm console.

  “Sore, but managing.”

  “You’re healing faster than normal,” Whisper said.

  Rayfin blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. “I work out regularly and try to sleep at least eight hours.”

  “Perhaps there was actually something in the tea that healed you.” Whisper raised her eyebrows.

  While Whisper tended to Rayfin, Meomi checked in on Inoke who sat on a large rock overlooking the stream. “You’ve been very brave.”

  He glanced at her but remained silent.

  “How are you holding up?” Meomi inched her hand close to his but stopped short of touching him. “You can talk to me, you know.”

  Inoke sucked in a deep breath. “I'm concerned about Thorne and Valric. They are my only friends.”

  “I am too.” Meomi tucked her chin into her chest.

  Inoke’s eyes turned blue as he talked. “For as long as I can remember, I could hear their thoughts. But I can’t now. And I am afraid for them.”

  “The Voidi took Thorne alive for a reason. They need him for something.” Meomi grazed his wrist. “I can’t promise we’ll be able to rescue him, but I can promise to do our best.”

  Rayfin and Whisper joined Meomi and Inoke. “Ready to go?”

  “Always forward,” Meomi replied. She helped Inoke up.

  “I surveyed the entrance to the enemy base.” Whisper sent Meomi images via suit comm.

  The first image showed a military camp with high fences, gun turrets, fortifications, barracks, vehicles, and space-capable ships, all standing in the way of the entrance to the volcanic base.

  “By my estimate, there are hundreds of Voidi warriors guarding the entrance,” Whisper said. “I don’t see Khoan. He could be held somewhere in one of those buildings or anywhere inside the volcano.”

  “How many of those green knockout spheres do you have?” Rayfin asked.

  “Nowhere near enough.” She shook her head. “Besides, the gas doesn’t seem to be that effective on the Voidi.”

  “There’s no way we can take them on with just us four,” Meomi said.

  Inoke’s face perked up. He walked over to a thick, bushy plant. “You can come out. We won’t hurt you.”

  A young girl crawled out from underneath the leaves.

  Meomi approached her and dropped to her knees. “Hello, little one. Are you lost? What’s your name?”

  “Elidia.” She covered her mouth as she talked. “I know a way into the mountain base.”

  Everyone on the team glanced at each other.

  “How old are you kid and where are your parents?” Rayfin asked.

  “I’m 12-years-old. My parents are in the Kingdom of Aurae.”

  “You shouldn’t be here, Elidia,” Whisper said. “You should go back to the village.”

  “If I help you get inside the mountain, will you take me to my parents?” Elidia asked.

  Whisper's eyes opened wide.

  “Elidia… That’s not…” Meomi started to say.

  “Yes. That sounds like a deal," Whisper interjected.

  “What?” Rayfin shouted.

  Inoke stared at Whisper and frowned.

  “I let you come if you follow my lead. That was the arrangement,” Whisper said to Meomi. “Depending on what this kid shows us, it may be the only way in. Or would you rather risk our lives by fighting an army of Voidi?”

  14

  Elidia led the team to the western side of the volcano, taking an overgrown path through the jungle vegetation.

  Meomi walked next to her with Inoke trailing by a few steps. “How do you know about this hidden entrance, Elidia?”

  “There is a lake nearby,” she said in a hollow voice. “My father and my brother would take me fishing with them. Not many people get this close to the volcano, so there is always so much fish.”

  Inoke nodded at Meomi, indicating Elidia was telling the truth.

  The encounter with Elidia did not sit well with Meomi. Her arrival seemed fortuitous when everything else on this mission went downhill. Meomi was no stranger to coincidences, but in all her experiences, such flukes tended to be bad omens.

  Her fears were tempered by Inoke’s lack of concern. He had access to her t
houghts and observed no signs of ill intent. The usually distrustful Whisper already made her decision. Meomi agreed to follow her orders.

  Rayfin caught up to Meomi and switched to a private comm channel. “Captain, I don’t like this. We’re following a 12-year-old child into the fortified base of a superior alien race that wants to wipe out humanity.”

  “Ever since Nocia…” Meomi gathered her thoughts. “Weird is the new normal. The unusual is now the usual.”

  “Does that mean you’ve given up on finding answers? To Laurine? And to the Cerberus?” Rayfin asked with strong notes of defiance.

  “I would never give up on the crew, Ensign. Not while I still breathe,” she said in a steady, low pitch.

  “Good, Captain. Same here. I’ve known most of the crew since the academy days. I refuse to believe they’re gone.” Rayfin fell behind Meomi by a few steps. “In a way, it’s good a thing.”

  “What is?” Meomi narrowed her eyes.

  “Many things are going on that we don’t understand. It means there’s hope. Once we understand everything, we can save them, Captain.”

  “I hope you’re right, Ensign. One step, one problem at a time. I have a feeling once we solve the mysteries on this planet, we’ll get our crew back. I don’t believe they’re dead and gone either.”

  Elidia stopped in her tracks five klicks away from the volcano.

  “Why did we stop?” Meomi walked in front of the young girl to see her face contorted in a horrific expression. “Hey… Are you OK?”

  “What’s happening?” Whisper moved up from the rear.

  “I… Look!” Meomi pointed at Elidia.

  Whisper immediately reached for her torch blades. “Arm yourselves! Now!”

  Rayfin and Meomi grabbed their hand cannons.

  Centuria-1 switched to active mode.

  “I don’t see anything,” Meomi said. “Do you sense anything, Inoke?”

  He shook his head.

  Elidia crumpled to the ground in front of Meomi and began convulsing.

  Meomi knelt down next to the young girl’s side. “Elidia! Hey! What’s wrong?”

  Pink foam seeped from her mouth — a mixture of blood and saliva.

  “She’s having a seizure!” Meomi shouted at Whisper. “Is there anything you can do?”

  “No,” Whisper said coldly. “Keep your eyes up.”

  “We have to help…” Meomi scrambled away from Elidia as a black ooze flowed from her eyes, ears, and nostrils. “Whisper, look!” She pointed at the young girl.

  Multiple red dots appeared on Meomi’s mini-map.

  Laser fire saturated the air, originating from all directions.

  “Dammit!” Whisper yelled. “They have us surrounded!”

  Dozens of Voidi warriors rushed Meomi and her team. A shot hit her shoulder. She lost grip on her weapon and dropped it. Another blast struck her in the chest, knocking Meomi on her back. Suit integrity dropped to 60%. Meomi reached for her hand cannon and fired it in time to hit a Voidi Warrior meters away from her position.

  “We need to run, Captain!” Rayfin yelled in a frantic voice

  The Voidi concentrated their fire on Centuria-1 until it collapsed to the ground with hundreds of scorching holes in its armor.

  Whisper fought off six Voidi warriors steering her away from the group.

  Metal orbs landed near Meomi and the other team members.

  Whisper streaked away before the spheres activated.

  A series of bright, flashing lights from the orbs induced paralysis in Meomi. The whole world seemed to tilt and sway as she crumpled to the ground, unable to control her quaking limbs. Just before she drifted into unconsciousness, she heard Whisper speaking over suit comm, “Stay alive… for as long as you can. I will…”

  The sound of metal screeching stirred Meomi from sleep. She fought to pry her eyelids open. Everything looked blurry like she was underwater. Her axis of orientation was off — up was left, down was right. Her head throbbed with pain. Meomi only saw glimpses of her surroundings. Black stone walls lined otherwise sterile hallways. Strange outlines of alien races that neither looked human nor Voidi. Indistinct voices spoke unintelligible languages.

  In one massive room, Meomi heard a loud buzzing. Like the amplification of millions of bees compressed together. She could make out silhouettes of creatures standing in front of an intense blue light. The source of which was a giant glowing ball, taking up the entire room from floor to ceiling. Between the grating sounds and the obnoxious light, her migraines reached an unbearable status. With the last of her strength, she activated her suit’s visual recorder before slipping back into unconsciousness.

  “Captain… Captain Hana… Meomi…” called out a familiar voice.

  Meomi gasped as she woke, sucking in a breath for what felt like the first time in hours. Her eyes darted to her suit’s chronometer. Twenty-eight hours had elapsed since the ambush.

  “Take it easy, Captain Hana.”

  “Thorne?” Pain radiated down her spine as Meomi tried to pan her head. She settled on turning her waist instead. Metal bars surrounded her on all four sides. They were in a vast warehouse filled with hundreds of cubed prisons stacked on top of each other extending several kilometers in all directions. Each cell had one human prisoner, many wearing Fleet Officer uniforms. Thorne sat with his knees to his chest, leaning against the bars of his cell to the right of her. “Where are we?”

  “My guess? A holding pen. At least, as far I can tell,” Thorne replied with his face partially hidden by shadows.

  “You’re still alive!” Meomi smiled.

  “I’m as surprised as you are.” Blood spurted from his mouth as he coughed.

  She frowned. Meomi suspected they would torture him. Getting captured was the last thing she wanted to happen — the worst possible outcome. Only Whisper remained free. Meomi wondered if it was possible for Whisper to complete the mission by herself while rescuing everyone. “Have you seen Rayfin and Inoke?”

  “I thought I told you to run away!” He slammed his forearm against the metal bars.

  The anger from Thorne caught Meomi off guard. “We had a mission to complete…” she said in a voice full of apologies with her eyes looking away from him. “And besides, we didn’t come here for you. You said so yourself how important this mission was. Whatever you may think of me, I’m a soldier at my core. One that follows orders.”

  Thorne scoffed. “Your orders didn’t include getting caught,” he said in a biting tone.

  Meomi saw disgust and contempt when she looked at him. She clenched her jaw so tightly her neck loosened, fighting the urge to retort. Her battle wasn’t with Thorne, but he had a way of piercing through her skin and reigniting the flames from when he stole command of her ship.

  “How did you even get here, anyway?” Thorne asked after a long silence.

  “Long story,” she replied without facing him.

  “It just so happens I have time.”

  The humorous tone of his voice disarmed Meomi just enough to string more than one sentence. “We were tricked by a young village girl. Well, I think that’s what happened. This girl was supposed to lead us to a secondary entrance into the volcanic base. She collapsed when a black ooze flowed out of her ears and nose.”

  “I’ve seen that same thing happen to some Fleet sailors here.” Thorne sat up straight. “My hunch, Mimics have a way of infecting people and forcing them to do things against their will. Somehow, they’re able to enter the bodies of their victims and control them like a parasite.”

  “Is that why there are so many Fleet Officers here? Infect and release them back to their commands?”

  “I thought so at first.” Thorne wrapped his arms around his ribs as he grimaced. “But after being here a few days and seeing how little they care about our health and well-being, I’m not sure. There’s been a steady trickle of new prisoners, but no one ever leaves.”

  “We’re missing something then, some important piece of the puzzle.�
�� Meomi pressed her face into the cool metal bars. “I just know we have to get out of here. Any way we can. Fleet High Command needs to know everything.”

  “I’m open to suggestions.”

  “Whisper.”

  Thorne raised his eyebrows. He leaned toward Meomi. “I’m open to suggestions,” he said in a whisper.

  “No, Whisper.” Meomi rolled her eyes. “As in, the Whisper Unit.”

  “Ahh, so she got my message.” His lips curved into a partial smile. “There is hope yet.”

  “Why haven’t you tried using your strength neuromod to break out of here?”

  “I tried. I don’t know what these bars are made of, but it’s stronger than any metal I’ve ever seen. Watch.” Thorne tapped his bio-information panel on his forearm, activating his strength neuromod. With considerable effort, he slightly curved two of his cell bars before doubling over in pain. A few seconds later, the bar straightened itself out.

  Meomi released a gasp.

  “It’s some sort of memory metal.” Thorne disabled his strength neuromod. “I’ve never seen technology like this.”

  “What else have you noticed?”

  “If we are inside a volcano, we should be uncomfortably hot. Instead, it’s rather cold in here.” He pointed to the frost on some bars. “During one of their interrogation sessions, they walked me past a massive room. Inside, there was a giant, glowing blue sphere that noticeably expanded and contracted like it was taking a breath.”

  “The video! Thanks for reminding me.” Meomi placed her helmet on her head and replayed the video she recorded from when they dragged her unconscious body. She paused the video on one shot in particular. In the still frame, Meomi made out human silhouettes. Using the image enhancement features of her suit’s computers, she recognized Fleet science officer uniforms. They were manning the stations in the room. She forwarded the video and stills to Thorne. “Looks like you were right about Fleet and Mimics working together. I would have never believed this if I didn’t see it with my own eyes.”