Survival was going to be much easier said than done.

  Chapter 40

  “Do you see anything, Colonel?” Jia asked.

  Sam turned her head to look back at the Marshals. “Nothing yet. The canopy is so thick it’s impossible to get a look through it.”

  “It’s doing a great job blocking our sensors too,” Kiaan said, pointing at the readings in front of him. “This thing only has IR, and it can’t penetrate.”

  “It doesn’t matter. I’m sure we’re well ahead of them by now.”

  “How do you know they’re going to continue south?”

  “I don’t. For all we know, they’re still half a klick away from the Deliverance, and we’re going to be waiting a long, long time.”

  Two hours had passed since they had left the grounded starship behind. They were almost four kilometers out from the ship, still floating above the thick jungle and headed directly south. The massive starship had long faded out of view, its disappearance causing a fresh wave of nervousness to overtake the otherwise calm sheriff.

  There was no sign of the Guardians, but that was hardly a surprise. They had taken a surface vehicle into the dense vegetation, probably because they didn’t know the transports existed. They were down there...somewhere. Sam was sure of it. But finding them would be almost as impossible as finding a specific recording from the ship’s mainframe among two hundred years of clips.

  Like she had done with that situation, she was planning to let the solution make itself apparent to her, rather than try to force a resolution that would be nearly impossible to manage.

  The mountains that had once been distant were almost right on top of them, close enough now that she could see white-capped peaks despite the warmth of the air at the transport’s current elevation. She could make out the crags and bluffs of the rocky terrain as she continued to marvel at the immensity and vastness of it all, even while she scanned the foothills for a reasonable place to touch down. They had brought enough food and water to spend nearly a week out in the field before they would need to resupply, but she was hoping Caleb would turn up well before that.

  “Something makes you think they’ll keep coming this way,” Kiaan said. “What is it, if you don’t mind me asking, ma’am?”

  “Sergeant Card told me the alien wanted to get to the surface. It must have had a destination in mind. Since they left with it, I’m assuming they’re staying with it. And the shortest distance between two points is a straight line.”

  “That makes sense.”

  Sam smiled. “I’m glad you agree.”

  The statement caused Kiaan to blush. “Did you know my family came from Marines? My great-something grandmother died on Earth in the war.”

  “I didn’t know that,” Sam replied.

  “Yeah. What was the name of her unit again?” He paused, thinking. “It was some kind of Earth bird. Eagles? Sparrows? Hmmm...”

  “Vultures?” Sam offered, remembering the name of Caleb’s former squad.

  Kiaan’s face lit up. “Yeah, that was it! How did you know?”

  Sam bit her bottom lip. “Did Governor Stone know your family history, by any chance?”

  “I mean, I told the Sheriff running the tryouts about it. I figured it would help me get into the program if they knew I came from a family of Marines.”

  Governor Stone really was a son of a bitch. “Sergeant Card was the commander of the Vultures. Did you know that?”

  Kiaan seemed more excited. “No, ma’am. You mean he knew my great-something grandmother?”

  “Yes.”

  His expression changed when he realized what that meant. “And now he’s a traitor?”

  Sam leaned in, lowering her voice. “I’ll let you in on a secret, but you can’t mention it to the others.”

  “Okay.”

  “I don’t think Sergeant Card is a traitor.”

  “But he helped the alien escape.”

  “Did he? Or is he using the alien to learn more about potential threats on the planet and take care of them before they take care of us?”

  That’s the version she was choosing to believe until Caleb proved otherwise. And that kind of proof would leave her dead in its wake.

  “But we’re supposed to stop him.”

  “I know. Let me worry about that.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  They continued toward the mountains, the rocky face looming ever larger through the forward viewport. Both Kiaan and Sam scoured the landscape for a place to land the transport without veering too far off the straight line path back to the Deliverance. The jungle was climbing the foothills of the mountains, remaining thick all the way to sheer cliff faces. There had to be a path through somewhere, or the Guardians were making the trip for nothing. Even they couldn’t climb the vertical rock.

  “Kiaan, can you activate the long-range comm?”

  Kiaan tapped on the controls, and she heard a click.

  “Deliverance, this is Marshal One. Do you copy?” she said.

  “This is Deliverance,” Deputy Klahanie replied. “We hear you Marshal One.”

  “Klahanie, don’t you ever go to sleep?” Sam asked.

  “Roger, Sheriff. I got three hours and came back to the bridge once the comm systems came online. I like it up here. There’s a great view.”

  “The view’s better where I am.”

  “What can I help you with, Sheriff?”

  “It’s Colonel now.”

  “Sorry. What can I help you with, Colonel?”

  “I’d like an updated status on the drone surveillance. Is there any evidence of the Guardians changing direction or circling back to the ship?”

  “Let me patch in DDF Control. Standby.”

  The comms were up and running, but there was still a bit of confusion about how to patch through and prioritize the different units and uses. Nearly a minute had passed before Klahanie’s voice entered the transport’s cockpit again.

  “Sher, I mean Colonel, DDF Control reports no new developments. They did sound a little excited about a couple of animals the drones spotted along the river banks. A strange cat-like thing with tentacles and some kind of color changing iguana type thing. If you know what an iguana is.”

  “I don’t,” Sam said. “But it sounds interesting.”

  “The biologists were eager to get a closer look, but Stone isn’t ready to let anyone else outside.”

  “Understandable. Thanks for the update, Deputy.”

  “Anytime, Sher… Colonel.”

  “Marshal One out.”

  Sam motioned for Kiaan to close the channel. He tapped the control and then pointed to the display on the left.

  “Colonel, look. There’s a break in the trees. It’s hard to judge with the distortion from the cameras, but I think we can touch down there?”

  Sam checked the location and nodded. “Head that direction and get us line of sight. If we can fit, we’ll land.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  The transport slowed and rotated, the front dipping slightly as Kiaan adjusted the power to the anti-gravity pods. The break in the trees came into view as a small crag jutting out from the foothills, surrounded by more foliage but offering a patch of flat ground to land. Scanning around the plateau, Sam noticed what looked like a more gentle slope leading up and away from the jungle.

  It was the perfect place for the Guardians to attempt passage over the mountains.

  “Bring us down there,” she said.

  “Yes, ma’am,” Kiaan replied.

  The transport shuddered and bucked, Kiaan’s inexperience showing as he brought the craft toward the flat ground. The soldiers in the back groaned, either out of amusement or motion sickness. Sam held on tight, feeling a bit of both herself.

  The pods touched down a little harder than the pilot probably wanted, giving the craft a good jostle as it slapped the ground and bounced back before coming to rest again, the forward viewport facing the rock ahead.

  “Nice landing,” Sam said.

  “Hard landing,” Kiaan replied.

  “We’re still alive. I’ll take it.” She headed to the back of the transport, noticing both smiles and pale faces. “We’re here. Grab your gear. There should be camo netting in storage. We’ll cover the transport and find a good place to wait.”

  “Roger, Colonel,” Steven said. “We’re on it.”

  “Can I fly us back?” Liam asked. “It’ll be easier on all of us.”

  “Shut the hell up,” Jia hissed.

  “You got a thing for the kid or something, Private?” Liam replied. “I don’t even think he’s legal yet.”

  Sam could see Jia’s scowl through her faceplate. “One more word from you, and I’ll—”

  “You’ll what?” Liam asked.

  “Shut up, all of you,” Sam snapped. “This isn’t the time or place for bullshit. Liam, the storage hold is there. Open her up and find the camo. You’re on netting detail.”

  Liam’s face darkened, and Sam thought he was going to challenge her again. He thought better of it, standing up and nodding. “Yes, ma’am.”

  Sam opened the side hatch and jumped out onto the rocky terrain, the rest of the Marshals close behind. The air was colder up here than back near the ship and carried a sweet odor. Where was it coming from?

  She would have time to figure it out later. Once their basic defense was organized, there would be nothing else for them to do but wait.

  Chapter 41

  Two days of slow, steady progress through the jungle found Caleb, Washington, Flores and Hal close enough to the mountains to begin making out the snow-covered caps and the rows of vegetation attempting to climb up the stone faces. The travel had been relatively uneventful, and Caleb was grateful for it. There was no further sign of trife, no trouble from potential apex predators, no strange interactions with poisonous insects, animals, or vegetation.

  He remembered one mission in Borneo where one of his squadmates had been bitten by some random no-see-um and wound up with a fever that took him out of action for a week. While the SOS was supposed to protect them from that particular freak accident, experience had taught him that there was no perfect system that would prevent unexpected setbacks. As far as he was concerned, making it two days through an alien ecosystem without issues was a success.

  “We should make it to the foothills in the morning,” Hal said, his voice echoing out through Caleb’s comm.

  The trife throat was unable to produce vocalizations even close to resembling human language, limited to hisses and screams because of the way the air passed through the esophagus. Like Caleb had assumed, the Axon AI had found a way around the limitation, adjusting its internal transmitters to an open band the ATCS could listen in on. The better news was that the alterations also limited the AI’s ability to utilize the mind-altering waveforms that caused hallucinations.

  Caleb still didn’t pretend to understand any of the technological implications of what the AI had done. The fact that the machine was composed of a gel-like substance was still hard for him to wrap his head around. He pictured robots as a full-body extension of his replacement arm, made up of metal and wire and batteries. He had considered asking Hal more about it but had decided the AI’s answers would go right over his head anyway.

  Besides, they were still allies because of a common goal, not by choice.

  “Almost there,” Caleb replied. “Wash, why don’t you pull in somewhere tight and shut her down for the night. We’ll break here and send out the drone at first light to find a pass over the hills.”

  Washington reached back from the cockpit of the ADC, flashing his thumb. The other downside to Hal’s new form was that it didn’t lend itself well to driving. It was too big and its limbs too long for the design of the vehicle, a detail that Caleb had overlooked when he told the AI to change capsules.

  He didn’t regret it. He was glad to have finally put Sho to rest, giving her the respectful send-off she deserved. He was happy not to have to look at her face anymore and feel guilty for how the AI had perverted her body. He wouldn’t let it pervert her memory too.

  “I will take watch,” Hal said, not that it needed to. The AI always took watch, because the AI didn’t need to sleep. Caleb checked his HUD and watched as the trife form sprang away from the ADC and easily scaled one of the massive trees, vanishing into the branches.

  There were upsides to the transformation, too.

  “Hal, have you figured out that other algorithm yet?” Caleb asked.

  “I am still processing, Sarge.”

  “I can keep watch if it helps you process faster. We’re getting closer to the source.”

  “It is a subprocess. I require not your assistance.”

  “Have it your way.”

  “I will.”

  Caleb smiled. The AI didn’t always understand Earth idioms, responding to them literally.

  “Is Ugly Yoda protecting us?” Flores asked.

  Caleb nodded, turning to look at her. She was in the last seat in the ADC, her helmet off. She had helped pass the time over the previous two days by rambling on about the plots to at least fifty movies and then critiquing them. Most of the films were as alien to him as Essex, though he did recognize a few of the more popular franchises.

  “Yeah,” Caleb replied, going to sit opposite her and taking off his helmet. Washington finished settling the ADC, putting it into sleep mode and then crouching low to move to the back of the carrier. “I wish we had a deck of cards or something.”

  “You said that yesterday,” Flores said.

  “It remains true until we get a deck of cards,” Caleb replied.

  Washington pointed at Flores, motioning to his mouth.

  “No, I’m good. Thanks, Wash,” she replied.

  He glanced at Caleb.

  “Sure,” Caleb replied.

  The big Marine moved the cargo cover on the floor aside, reaching in and pulling out their box of rations. There was enough on board for another week, but after that they would have to start living off the land and hope that nothing they chose was poisonous to humans.

  “Do you have a Meatloaf in there?” Caleb asked.

  Washington started digging through the box, quickly pulling out an MRE for himself.

  “What flavor?” Flores asked.

  Washington held it up.

  “Thanksgiving Dinner again?”

  He shrugged and licked his lips.

  “It’s good. It’s not that good.”

  He did his best to smile.

  “What kind of movie do you want me to tell you about tonight? Sci-fi, comedy, horror, thriller?”

  “No sci-fi,” Caleb said. “I’ve had enough sci-fi in the last couple of days to last the rest of my life. How many Star Wars movies are there, again?”

  “I don’t know,” Flores said. “Over twenty. I can start listing them.”

  “What’s the funniest movie you ever saw?” Caleb asked, quickly getting her on another related topic before she started spouting out titles.

  “Hmm. That’s a hard one. Let me think a minute.”

  Caleb glanced at Washington, who nodded approval and then continued searching for a meatloaf flavored MRE. He pulled it out in triumph a moment later and tossed it to Caleb.

  “These taste just like the meatloaf my mom used to make,” Caleb said, laughing and shaking his head. “She was a terrible cook.”

  “But it tastes like home, right Sarge?” Flores said.

  “Exactly.” He tore it open and took a bite. It reminded him of better days. Happier days. Before the trife. Before the war. Before the Deliverance. “I keep finding myself wondering if there’s anything left,” he said.

  “On Earth?” Flores replied. “I think about that too.”

  Washington tapped his chest.

  “I never wanted to leave,” Caleb said. “I would have stayed to fight until the end. I heard General Stacker stayed behind. He had a couple thousand with him from all of the branches. Army, Navy, Marines. I still can’t believe it’s been over two hundred years. I want to think humankind is still out there fighting, but it feels more like a pipe-dream than reality.”

  “I worry about what happened to Proxima,” Flores said. “If any of the other ships really did go there. If the Relyeh were coming to Earth and pressing ahead, they might have reached it by now.”

  “Hal thinks they went around a big part of the universe to get here faster. I didn’t think he was right until the trife showed up. It seems Riley was right too. They sent the bastards from here. Our enemy is out there, somewhere over those mountains. I don’t know if we can do anything to hurt them, but if nothing else, it’ll be damned satisfying to try.”

  “Roger that,” Flores said.

  Washington thumped his fist against his chest in agreement.

  They fell silent.

  “Spaceballs,” Flores said, breaking it.

  “What?” Caleb replied.

  “Funniest movie I ever saw. It’s a parody of Star Wars.”

  Caleb groaned. Washington tried to groan. Flores laughed.

  “What? Come on. Dark Helmet? There’s that scene where he’s trying to fight Bill Pullman, and Bill puts his hand on Dark Helmet’s helmet and holds him back. I’ve always wanted to try that on a trife.”

  “How about something not related to Star Wars?” Caleb asked.

  “That’s a big ask, Sarge. Let me-- ugh.” Flores’ eyes snapped closed, and she clutched at her chest. “Ahhh. Damn it.” Her face paled almost instantly, and she tried to stand, making it halfway before starting to collapse.

  Washington dumped the MREs all over the floor, using his free hands to catch her. He lowered her gently to the floor.

  “Flores, what’s going on?” Caleb asked.

  “Damn it hurts,” she groaned, still clutching her chest.

  They had all been hoping she would hold out. Two days had passed without pain, and the dark veins on her chest had subsided somewhat.

  “Get her SOS off,” Caleb said.