Taking her eyes off the two moons lazily looking down at them for a moment, Jaspinder was met by the sight of Chief Bradley shaking his head and chuckling. A chuckle that soon transformed into laughter, the maniacal kind.
She was lost. Everything was wrong. Her abdomen suddenly became an endless void and her breathing grew uneven. Impeded by tunnel vision, an unnatural fear wormed its way inside her mind. She heard manic laughter, but it felt distant; she realized it was her own voice only when she was shaken by a fit of cough. In panic, she took off her helmet and looked around to see if it was an elaborate joke or a stupid candid camera, if her companions were pulling a prank and laughing at her. Something, anything that would tell her this was not real.
She found nothing.
Instead, emotions were running high: Elisa was loudly swearing and kicking anything in reach, no sign of her stopping anytime soon. Chief Rossi was quietly muttering a great number of curses intermixed with loud sighs, the mix of languages creating a harsh cacophony. Steve was quiet for a change, just staring at the sky with an amused smirk on his face. Tetsuo was silent and inscrutable. As for Chief Anderson...
«No!» He shouted all of a sudden, no trace of laughter to be found on him. «No, no, no, no, no... The hell is this shit? This-this is fucking nightmare! Or I’m dead and this is my Purgatory. Yeah, that leopard must have killed me. This stuff doesn’t happen in real life». He was in denial and… panicking. The Bradley Anderson panicking. It would have been a funny joke, on a normal day, but nobody was laughing. He took his helmet off and threw it to the ground, before sitting down on the wet grass; his hand passed through his hair, short and slick with sweat, while his breathing became more and more elaborate, out of control.
Then, Jaspinder heard something she would have never thought coming from him: sobs. Years of serving together and she had never heard him complain once about pain, much less shed a tear; and yet there he was, a veteran operator, a certified badass, crying. She appreciated a man who was not afraid to let others see him cry, whose ego was not so fragile that showing vulnerability would crush it, and that raised her already high respect for Chief Bradley. At the same time, seeing him distraught made the whole situation much more serious. Amidst the sobs and the tears, she heard him murmur the names of his wife and daughters more than once, until he too began to cuss. Low at first, then louder, and louder, until it became a shouting cry of unrestrained anger.
She instantly felt there was something familiar, but could not figure out what it was. Then, she saw the glint of madness behind the master chief’s eyes: it was the same anger and bloodlust that had engulfed her on the night when she first heard the screams of the women who now walked with them. She looked around and noticed something similar in the others, something she had already seen before, sometimes without even paying attention to it: it was the fear and anger in Elisa’s curses, the coldness, ire, and minute traces of despair in Chief Rossi’s bulging veins and detached smile, and Steve’s seemingly catatonic state accompanied only by a goofy grin, something they both had experienced a few days before at the sight of fireflies, when all their current mess seemed to have begun.
Jaspinder knew, somehow, that things were about to turn ugly, that a small voice in her friends’ minds would entice them to kill, destroy, satisfy their bloodlust. She too could feel it in the back of her head, just a buzz that was slowly growing louder. It was enough having experienced it once, so she decided to close her eyes and breathe, though the creek was too far away for the sound of running water to reach her ears and calm her mind. Then she would have to try and calm her companions down.
However, just as she closed her eyes, the spell was broken and everyone went quiet. They had all heard the same, single, dry word, uttered by the voice of none other than Tetsuo Kusanagi.
«Fuck».
Jaspinder could not speak for the others, but it was the first time she had heard the prim and proper Japanese man swear.
***
Elisa watched as Bradley threw a small stone into the creek. It was a smooth, flat one, great for skipping, but at the moment nobody was thinking about how many times he could make it bounce off the water. «Were we abducted by aliens?»
She noticed a shadow moving in her peripheral, but when she turned her head there was nothing.
«And then they left us here for... reasons? Come on! We’d remember something about it». Alessandro was sitting down on the ground, staring at the helmet in his hands. A cold night breeze began to blow, playing with his short curls, but he seemed to not even notice. The light from the moons gave the whole scene an almost desolate feel, but at least there was enough illumination to see each other with the naked eye.
Silver linings. At least the night sky is beautiful. If we weren’t in such a crazy situation, I’d lay down to watch it.
Throwing a rock himself, Tetsuo’s form was not only good, but also elegant… as much as stone skipping could be considered such, of course. That perfectionist aspect of his, the dedication to apply his kyudo principles everywhere, was the thing Elisa admired the most about him. It was very “Japanese” of him, in a stereotypical but good way. «Well, senior chief, in all movies the aliens conveniently have some sort of way to delete or suppress memories, so...»
«Okay, Tetsuo. Then, maybe we stepped into a wormhole and were transported here», Bradley guessed.
«Are wormholes actually real? And how could we not feel anything at all during this... thing, this transfer?» Alessandro replied.
«Uhm, I think we were “spirited away” by magic».
A tinge of irritation made her reply harsher than necessary. «Because magic is real, right? Meinn Gott, Jas, be serious; at least aliens kidnapping us is a concrete possibility, given where we are». Again, she saw something move, to her left this time, but again she found nothing when she turned her head.
«Hey! I am being serious, easy with the fangs there, Elisa». Jaspinder complained, arms akimbo.
«Indeed, no need to be so caustic».
You always have to butt in, don’t you, Al?
«I’ve got it!» Steve exclaimed, interrupting her thoughts. «We’re in a simulation. Just like that old movie, the Matrix, you know? We’ve been captured and are all connected to some bloody new hyper-realistic VR system».
«Steve, do you really think we’d get captured alive and that our enemies would have such tech? Say it’s all true: for what purpose put us into a simulation? We’re not officers, we’re always given intel on a need-to-know basis. We also have no recollection of anything wrong that might have happened to us», Alessandro said. «Sorry, but I don’t buy it».
Steve insisted. «Maybe it was our allies who put us into this mess».
«If we start to think that the UN or one of its members is behind this, we’ll go down a rabbit hole so deep not even Alice could escape from it».
«Okay, what do you think happened, then, smartass?» Bradley asked. Another pebble fell into the river.
«Glad you asked. Actually, this reminds me of a book». Alessandro exclaimed.
«Oh, great, what else is new?» Elisa kicked a rock away, and kept walking dragging her feet, frustration in her steps.
«Oh, shut up, Bogeyman. You should read sometimes, not just play videogames. It would be good for your brain».
She flipped him the bird.
«Anyway, as I was saying, it reminds me of the beginning of The Saga of Videssos. Harry Turtledove’s most famous novels, actually».
«Never heard of the books, sorry Al». Another stone left Bradley’s hand and skipped on the water.
Elisa could have sworn something had moved on the opposite bank. She put on her helmet and checked with both night and thermal vision, but found nothing. Maybe it had been an animal. She took off the helmet, going back to the moonlit darkness. «Me neither», she said, and looked at Alessandro. The chances that she had read anything that he enjoyed were very low, considering the difference in their taste.
«I don’t know this Turtledove… Is he a famous author, chief?» Jaspinder was always curious for new books, and, given the premises, that looked to be her genre.
I still don’t understand how she can like Fantasy, Sci-Fi and all that jazz…
«Sorry, chief, no idea who the bloke is. If he from Oz?»
«Bah! Uncultured lot, all of you», Alessandro complained. Nothing new there. «No, Steve, he was not an Aussie».
«I can’t say I have heard of this author or his books, senior chief. What do they talk about?» Tetsuo asked, ever polite and diplomatic.
«The author was a historian and the books are from the 1980s». Al sighed, but he still explained, pedantic as ever. «It’s the story of this Roman legion – well, half legion, actually – which disappears during Caesar’s campaign to conquer Gallia».
«Gallia?» Brad asked, and she briefly wondered how he could not know. Then she remembered that, for all of his qualities, he was still American.
«Modern-day France, more or less». Al put his helmet on the ground and stood up. «So, to sum it up, these Roman soldiers are literally teleported to another world, maybe a parallel universe, maybe the future, maybe an alien world. Turtledove didn’t say anything about it».
«Great». Elisa was nonplussed. «So, how do they travel between dimensions or whatever? And don’t tell me it’s magic».
«Magic», he replied not a second later, smirking as Elisa vocalized her annoyance. «The Gauls ambushed the legion and their chieftain fought the Roman tribune. When their swords touched there was a flash and they all found themselves in Videssos, which was basically an alternate world Byzantine Empire where magic was real, and there they got involved in political scheming, battles and—».
«Wait, why would they be teleported when their sword hit the other?»
«Because both where druidic weapons, with magical runes on the blade», Alessandro replied, visibly irked at the interruption. «It’s an important plot point, because later on—»
«Nobody cares! That’s a book, not reality. I don’t know about you, Al, but I don’t think we have magic swords and druids to blame for our situation», Elisa vented, and kicked another rock away. Her frustration kept mounting.
«Given that we are on another fucking planet, and we have no idea how we got here, I wouldn’t rule out “magic”, whatever that might mean!» He even had the audacity to be irritated at her.
«Look, know-it-all, instead of saying it’s “because of magic”, just admit you have no idea like the rest of us».
«For the love of… I was just saying this situation reminds me of a book, okay? I didn’t say we got here due to magic! What’s your problem? Did you eat poison for dinner?»
«No, but I can put it in your food if you don’t get how serious our situation has just become, schwachkopf!» She was this close to screaming in his face.
«Whoa, whoa! Chill out, mates. No need to argue over a minor book from an unknown writer from a hundred years ago that only one person in the world has read».
«Ouch that’s some burn there, Al», Bradley said, the shadow of laughter in his words. He threw another stone, not enough light to confirm whether it had skipped or not.
«Shut up, Brad. Steve, it would only do you good to read those books. And Elisa, I understand very well how deep in shit we are, thank you. Get off your high horse».
Elisa really wanted to elbow him in that stupid Italian face of his.
Before she could act on her desire, or even had a chance to think of an adequately pungent comeback, Cooper replied, not losing his trademark smirk despite the tension in the air. «Sorry, chief, I have better things to do at home».
«Like watching a sappy, century old romantic comedy about an Aussie going to New York?» Alessandro asked.
«Well, I was thinking more about the horizontal conga, you know, but that too». He laughed. «Also, I reckon old age is catching up, chief? Crocodile Dundee came out in ’63.
«My God… you saw the remake. And you call yourself Australian?»
«Hell yeah! Who’s going to watch the original when the remake is so much better? Lorusso is amazing and Natasha Lang is still my crush. It’s an awesome movie; iconic I’d say. Am I right, Bogeyman?»
«I don’t know, Steve, I am but a stuck-up scary doctor, apparently, but since that movie’s where your nickname comes from, I doubt it», Elisa replied with arms crossed. She spit to the side.
«Ooh! Is it sarcasm that I hear, Chief Schwartzman?» The fool asked in mock surprise, unable to remain serious for more than a minute. «I thought you Germans hadn’t discovered it yet. I feel blessed to be part of this historical event».
«Keep it up, Cooper, and I’ll bless you in my own special way», Elisa said, smiling, as she audibly cracked her knuckles. She looked down, sharply, close to her feet; she could have sworn something dark had moved, but there was only grass there.
Just a trick of the moonlight…
It was an empty threat, of course, just their usual banter – if she really had been angry, she would have threatened to put a laxative in his hydration pack – but sometimes she really felt like giving Steve’s face a good smack. Maybe it was his shit-eating grin, or his irritating good looks; perhaps it was his constant stories about Australia’s wildlife, or the never-ending jokes. Whatever the case, sooner or later she would follow her instinct and see if hitting Cooper could be justified as stress relief.
Al always looks relaxed afterwards. Then again, that’s his default state. When he’s not busy being an insufferable know-it-all or an annoying dick.
Despite her thoughts, she envied Alessandro’s preternatural skill in slapping Cooper’s nape without the latter noticing him. He always seemed to have the perfect timing.
Once, she had asked him about it, as a joke, and Al had replied – dead serious – that he had gotten the idea from one of his favourites TV shows. Another oldie that no one in the team had ever heard about, of course. From what she recalled, he had told her it portrayed a team of exceedingly good-looking U.S. Federal Agents solving all of their cases using their wits, charms, the occasional cowboy-cop tactic, and an open interpretation of how forensics, IT and science in general work. All furnished with enough “Hoorah!” to recruit a Marine regiment. Furthermore, Al’s passionate explanation even included the non-requested information that the show was a spin-off of another one whose protagonists were U.S. Navy lawyers who alternated court cases with intelligence work and the occasional piloting of fighter jets.
Yeah, that had been confusing.
«Jeez… alright, alright», Cooper’s voice interrupted Elisa’s trip down memory lane as he went back to the original topic of discussion. «In any case, Chief Rossi, I’ll let it go this time, but I’d ask that you don’t demean such great pieces of art anymore. It is unbecoming of you».
«Was that an attempt at a British accent, Steve?» Jaspinder snickered. «Also “unbecoming”? Since when do you know such complicated words?» She laughed at her own jab, joined immediately by the rest of the team. Brad had stopped throwing stones, Al had picked up his helmet, and even the ever-polite Tetsuo could not help but let a chuckle out.
You are a fool, Steve, but you really know what to say to lighten up the mood.
Elisa shook her head. The tension was mostly gone, at least for the moment. They would not get an answer that night, that’s for sure, and the problem was not one that could be solved in a couple of hours. Better to sleep on it and brainstorm in the morning; a good rest was always welcome, and she was not going to get second watch anytime soon, thanks to Steve and Jaspinder being voluntold. A small smile appeared on her face, as Bradley led them back to the camp.
«Hey, chief», Steve called out. «Did the blokes from your book, the Roman soldiers I mean, get back home, in the end?»
Everyone perked up at that question, even Elisa herself. They stopped for a moment, waiting.
«No». Alessandro’s reply was met with silence, broken only by the noise of their renewed steps on gravel.
Talk about a mood-killer...
***
The following morning, they had breakfast with whatever meat had remained but did not depart immediately. After the previous night’s discovery, they had to decide what to do and where to go.
«So…» Bradley began. «The situation is as crazy as possible. Except for Al and his love for obscure 20th century novels, I think none of us would have ever thought we’d end up... here, wherever this is». He was finding it hard to spell out the reality of their situation. «The map we have is completely useless, there is no SATLINK, and from the looks of it, I guess we’re the only ones around using radio or laser comms. Sure, the map wasn’t made with wrong intel, but we’ll still blame Miller for it once we go back, don’t worry». The joke elicited a few chuckles among the team, though threaded with melancholy.
«Miller, huh? I might consider staying here if it means I don’t have to listen to any more of his god-awful puns. After his son’s birth he became even worse». Jaspinder’s comment roused another round of chuckles, this time less nervous.
«So, where to now, Brad?»
«I don’t know. There’s no meaning in going back to the other bank and proceed south if we don’t know where to go, and we have no clue as where the closest friendly town is. I believe it’s better if we follow the stream for now».
«Sir, why don’t we ask them?» Tetsuo pointed at the men and women around them, who were eating and taking a few moments to rest their weary selves a bit more. «They’re locals».
«Good idea, but are you confident you can have a conversation with our friends?»
«Aye, sir. Though I don’t know the words for “town”, “city”, “house”, “road” or anything similar, I’ll manage».
«You’re not selling yourself well, you know? But have no fear, my friend. Where words may fail, a simple drawing will succeed! And if you don’t want to use your precious notebook, there’s always stick and dirt. Un’immagine vale più di mille parole».
«A picture is worth a thousand words… you are right, senior chief». Tetsuo nodded for emphasis.
«Wow, Al», Elisa joined in, «already so wise this early in the morning? Now I’m afraid it might snow».
«I’m always wise. Not my fault you guys don’t listen».
Before the discussion could be derailed any further, Bradley interrupted the duo and their growing bickering. «Okay, okay. Quiet now, it’s too early for your usual husband-and-wife banter». He sighed. «Tetsuo, go talk to Tàr and Ed».
«Sir, his name is not “Ed” but—» Bradley stared at him, and Tetsuo’s protest died down. «Roger, sir», he replied, and moved away towards the two people who had been his main source of information on the local language in the last few days.
As Tetsuo went to, hopefully, get some information to decide their course of action and route, Bradley asked the rest of the team for a report on their ammunition reserves. «Given the tech we’ve seen until now, I think we’re unlikely to find new ammunition any time soon, if ever. Do a full check and give me your ammo sitrep. One at a time. I need to know exactly what we all have. Just start when you’re ready, Al».
«Copy, Brad», he replied. The check only took a minute or so. «Eight rifle mags here. Minus the three shots I fired, I’m left with two hundred and thirty-seven rounds. I also have five mags for my Beretta, my knife, two MK16, four frags and four flash bangs». He checked his numbers again, then continued: «Add to that... one incendiary, two smokes, and two breach charges».
«Same as last time, my situation is basically the same as Al’s, though I don’t have any breach charge». Elisa replied immediately when Bradley gestured at her to go, but her short answer did not satisfy him. At his insistent look, she continued. Not without huffing first, though. «Fine, fine. I have eight full mags for the G38, less three shots, just like Al.
«Technically, we are carrying different calibres», Alessandro interrupted with a half smirk, only to be immediately rebuked.
«Oh, halt den Mund. You know where you can put your different calibres?» Elisa replied, glaring at the Italian.
Once again, Bradley decided to speak before Al could escalate the banter, silencing them both. «I admire that you both can manage to joke around given the situation, but, seriously, could you please continue later? Elisa, carry on».
«Aye, aye, Cap’n. As I was saying before being so rudely interrupted, I also have five mags for my Beretta, so seventy-five shots, just like Al. Here’s my knife», she unsheathed and sheathed it, «then, two MK16, four frags, four flash bangs, one thermite grenade and two smokes. Just. Like. Al. Less the breach charges. As I said».
«Okay, okay. I got it, thanks. No need to be so salty; I know the situation is stressful but don’t let the Bogeyman out. Most of all, resist the temptation of killing Al in his sleep», Bradley replied, unable to help himself despite his own previous warning to the other two. He knew it would take a lot to really annoy Elisa, and that maybe a few jokes would help relieve some tension.
Seeing as his small quip had the intended effect, he went back to the business at hand, having Jaspinder continue with the report.
Looking up from where she was crouching, she too started listing all her munitions: «Chief, I only shot one M4 round, so I still have full eight mags, plus five for my Glock, thirty rounds for the M320, and twenty-four shells for the Benelli. I also have four proximity mines, two frags, two ASM, two incendiaries, and three demo charges. Well, and my knife of course».
«Damn, Khalid, you’re a walking armory», Bradley commented and turned towards Cooper. He almost jumped in surprise when he found Tetsuo already standing there at ease, helmet hanging from his belt, waiting for Bradley to address him.
Jesus! It’s been no more than 10 minutes, Tetsuo. And stop moving like a fucking ninja. I know you do it on purpose… He gave the other man the go ahead.
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
«Sir, I have six magazines for my M33 for a total of twelve hundred rounds, less the one I shot. Five magazines for my .45, two MK16 ASM, four flash bangs, four frags, one thermite grenade, two proximity mines, and my knife». His reply was swift and concise, his voice loud and clear.
Still sitting down, his backpack in front of him, Cooper gave a sideway glance at Tetsuo, eyebrows up, before opening his mouth. «So, yeah. Crazy situation. And I’ve seen crazy and dangerous in the Outback, trust me, like when—» Noticing Bradley’s silent glare, he quickly got back on track. «Buuut you don’t need to hear about it now. Moving on, I have six mags for the 517, Chief, less the two shots from the other night. I’m still at full five for the 110... and another five mags for the .45. As for grenades, let’s see, let’s see... four frags, four flashies, two ASM, a couple proxies and another two smokes. And here is my oh-so-lovely Bernie».
Rolling his eyes at the Australian caressing his own hand-made hunting knife, Bradley addressed the team. «Thank you, everyone. We’re good, but keep track of what you have». He received words of confirmation from the others. «Now, be sure to eat if you haven’t already and see to your weapons. Take care of them even more than usual, because I doubt we’ll find spare parts here. And be stingy with your ammo; resupplying will be a tad difficult».
«You don’t say».
«Spare us the sarcasm, Al», Bradley replied, expecting a comeback. However, seeing that his friend had taken the rebuke in stride, he decided to sit down and do his own counting as well, though it was going to be a short affair. Like most of the team, he too had only shot his M4 once since the beginning of their operation. His Glock 19 custom had not left its holster yet and he had quite enough munitions for it, at least for now; enough to neutralize seventy-six people if he was very optimistic. More likely half that number, realistically.
His knife, on the other hand, had already found too much use for his taste.
«Now, Tetsuo, tell us what you’ve learned from our friends. We can let them rest for a while more today, I plan to cover at least thirty klicks by sunset».
All in all, their ammo situation was still good, and he was glad for it, but he knew it would not last forever. It would be a problem for another time, however. What they had to do now was to adapt their tactics and conserve munitions for when absolutely necessary, avoiding fights when possible. They did not have the luxury to be wasteful anymore, though if the soldiers in that place were still fighting with swords and shields – and Bradley was dead set on finding out – he could presume encountering hostiles armed with firearms and ballistic armour would be very unlikely. Still, better safe than sorry.
Not hearing any reply, Bradley prompted him again. «Tetsuo? Come on, did you learn anything?»
«Aye, sir, I did. They are from a small village north from here, but there is no one left there, and, it is my opinion that it would not be in our and their best interest to go there. If those soldiers had captured them once, they could do it again».
«Agreed. Anything else that we can use?»
«Yes, if I understood correctly, there is a hostile town or garrison south-west from here, where those soldiers were likely taking them, and there is another town north-east from here, a friendly one this time. According to Eith it should take us between ten and twenty days to get there, since we do not know exactly where we are»
«How did he even guess, then?» Alessandro asked.
«He only looked at the mountains to our east, sir. I think he made an estimate based on that».
«That’s good, Tetsuo», Bradley commented, «but is he certain the town is not hostile?»
«Well, both he and Tàr kept saying “Okkars”, “Gerad” and “Ríki” when talking about it, so I asked what those words meant. I am quite certain that “Okkars” is the name of their people, they kept gesturing at the two of them and toward the rest, and pointed at their teeth as well, but please remember I have been studying their language from zero and only for a few days».
«I know, and you’ve done a good job. What about those other words?»
«“Gerad” and “Ríki”? I have no idea, sir. I am pretty certain they are names, but they could be the name of a friend, of the town, perhaps of its mayor. Or maybe something else entirely».
«Regardless, we have an objective now. Go eat something, Tetsuo, and tend to your weapons. Everyone, listen up! We leave at zero-eight-thirty. You have thirty-two mikes».
***
«I still think we were spirited away».
The sky was darkening. They had been walking the whole day northbound, leaving the now-familiar creek behind them. Jaspinder and Steve brought up the rear.
«I’m not saying you’re wrong, Jas… I just don’t think you’re right. Your idea is too close to the Chief’s “magic swords” story».
«Okay, Steve, but do you seriously believe this is a simulation? An elaborate experiment in virtual reality made by the machines or by the men in black? This is way too real». She emphasises the statement by caressing a leaf from a nearby bush. It was rhomboid, soft, with five barbs at the edges. «It would make no sense to test it on us. I mean, virtual reality this good? For free? Hello? Tell me where to sign up for it».
«You have a point, but it still makes more sense than magic».
«I never said it was magic. It could be science! Science so advanced that for us it’s the same as magic, like the teleporters in Star Trek».
«So, we’re back to aliens abducting us».
Jaspinder shook her head. «You’re frustrating, you know?»
«It’s part of my charm», he laughed. Jaspinder rolled her eyes.
Their comms turned on with the familiar sound of static. «Team, this is One. There’s a small clearing ahead, five hundred meters. We’re stopping there for the night. One, out».
«Finally. My legs are killing me».
Jaspinder kicked the back of his knee. Not too hard, just enough to fold his leg. «Come on, wuss. Stop complaining».
«Hey! You people have too much repressed violence inside. Stop hurting me and go see a shrink, evil woman».
«You have armour on, cry-baby. I could shoot you and you’d only feel a light sting».
«It’s the action itself that matters». He kicked the back of her knee, hard.
«Fuck you! Didn’t you just say it’s the action that counts?»
«Yes. Violence begets violence, don’t you know?»
Jaspinder decided not to reply. She was tired as well and conceded he had a point. That did not mean she would excuse Steve and allow him to kick her with impunity, though. Her revenge would have to wait for the right moment; when she was not exhausted, preferably.
Some twenty minutes later, they were making camp. The clearing was small and littered with fallen trees, but it was good enough for their needs. The light was fading, and once again they began to prepare a couple of fires to keep warm during the night. After the previous night’s discovery, Bradley had conceded that probably no one was looking for them, and that there was no need to avoid aerial surveillance anymore, so even a normal bonfire would be okay to make. That still left the issue of finding dry-ish wood, but they would manage. As for the food, what boar had remained had been their breakfast, so they had foraged what they could along the way, and even managed to hunt a couple of big, strange birds the colour of bark and with red eyes. That they found any animal at all was thanks to Háttenni. The old hunter had managed to spot both camouflaged birds and snipe each of them with a rock; Bradley had commented on establishing a baseball league so that he could have him as his pitcher, but everyone else dismissed his idea. They even dared to call baseball “boring”.
Water was a different problem, though. With the creek they had left behind a secure source of fresh water, but this time it was Eldur, the younger hunter, who found a small stream. It was nearby the clearing, which was the main reason they had chosen it as a place to rest.
«—touch anything brightly coloured, understood?»
«Roger, Elisa, you’ve been very clear», Chief Bradley replied, «but I haven’t seen anything with bright colors around, and the only poisonous food we know of, is black…»
«Sure, we’re in a temperate zone, I think, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be careful…»
«No drama, Elisa, we have gloves on. Actually, master chief, can I use fingerless ones on the next op? It’s just not the same when I squeeze the trigger».
«No, Cooper, and stop asking. The gloves aren’t perfect but they are the closest thing to a second skin and, most important, they protect your damn fingers».
In-between eating her portion of meat, Elisa continued to speak. «We should also try to boil water before drinking it, at least we can lower the risk of getting some weird local disease this way». She held her hand up, forestalling any objection. «I know, I know. The UNSOC gave us all known vaccines and the best possible immune system, but I still think it’d be better to avoid eating too much meat or fish, especially of animals at the top of the food chain. They are the ones most likely to have potentially harmful substances inside, including heavy metals».
«Well, at least we won’t find any microplastics», Jaspinder added.
«You realize you’re eating meat right now, right, chief?» Steve argued, licking the grease off his fingers. «And it’s not like we can live on nuts and berries alone. We can survive that way, but ours is not the chipmunk way».
Chief Anderson gave him the stink eye. «I agree, we can’t just go vegetarian from one day to the next».
«That’s not what I’m saying», Elisa replied. «I just think we should be careful and limit meat and fish».
«Well, if this place is like Europe in the Middle Ages, we might not even be allowed to hunt without permission from some local noble and his corrupt sheriff», the Senior Chief added.
«And who plays Robin Hood?» The master chief ate his last piece of meat, took a long sip off his hydration pack and gave a satisfied sigh.
Chief Rossi did not miss a beat. «You, of course. And we’re your merry friends. Tetsuo will be Friar Tuck, of course. He’s already bald».
«Respectfully, senior chief, I decline».
«Alright then, Will Scarlet», Chief Bradley addressed Chief Rossi, «less talking and more eating while we have food, or I’ll take your meat as well».
«Aye, aye, o’ great Bradley».
Jaspinder saw a small bone, stripped of all meat, leaving Elisa’s hand and hitting Chief Rossi square in the right side of his head. «Children, if you’ve finished, I have one last thing to say».
The chief picked up the bone and threw it back at her, but Elisa avoided it. «So, I only wanted to warn you against possible illnesses that we might find in this world, especially STDs. I’m looking at you, Steve».
«What? Why me?»
«Oh, we know you're a Casanova, and you’d probably have a quickie with an Okkar woman just for the experience. I would suggest keeping it in your pants, but I don’t know if you have the self-control».
«Hey, that’s mean. I feel very offended. Do you see how offended I am? I might even cry».
«Yes, yes. In any case, are you armed, Steve?» Chief Rossi asked.
«Armed? What kind of question is that?» A visibly perplexed Cooper asked.
The senior chief sighed. «Damn language barriers... Here, let me show you». He took a condom out of one of his pockets, before handing it to Steve, adding to his confusion.
«This is what I mean when I ask if you are armed, Steve».
«I don’t know if I should ask but... why do you have a dinger, chief?»
«Because it’s the best tool to avoid STDs and unwanted pregnancies? Also, have I ever told you the Australian slang is weird?»
«Thanks, Captain Obvious», Elisa snorted. «He’s asking why do you carry a bloody condom with you on a mission. Did you expect some hot encounters in the middle of the forest? Did you forget you’re married?»
«But three of us aren’t, correct? You never know what might happen. Better be prepared. Plus, a condom can easily be used as an emergency canteen».
Nonplussed, Elisa replied after a beat. «I don’t know if I should consider you very wise or a complete idiot».
«Why, of course this is great wisdom. Who do you take me for?»
«You really want me to answer?»
Ignoring her, Chief Rossi went back to addressing Steve: «In any case, Steve, you know I have some if you need. Never forget to use protection!»
«Yes, mom».
«And cut the sass, will you?»
«Ehm... yes, sir. Sorry. Actually, chief, were you serious regarding the canteen part?»
Bradley interrupted the conversation. «We seriously don’t want to know. What I’d really like someone to explain to me, however, is why we can survive on this planet. I mean, what are the chances that on this planet we can breathe air and not, I don’t know, carbon dioxide or whatever?»
«Well, we know our friends’ blood is red, and the fake-leopard as well. That should mean that on this planet the air is made mostly of oxygen, I guess?» Alessandro replied.
«Not really» Elisa rebuked him, not without some glee. «On Earth, cold-blooded animals have blue blood, but they still breathe oxygen. Their haemoglobin simply contains copper and not iron, unlike mammals and other warm-blooded animals. Think of octopuses».
Steve cut in, speaking with an old voice and a faux British accent. «And now, after a short break, do not miss our new documentary “Planet of Noble Animals”. Listen to Dame Elisa “Bogeyman” Schwartzman as she narrates the life of our true emperors: octopi and calamari. Stay tuned on BBC Nature».
That caught everyone unprepared, so much that Jaspinder snorted while drinking and started coughing, while Tetsuo had a suffering face as he tried to hold his laughter. Alessandro and Bradley just did not care and seemed like they would keep on snickering forever.
«Oh, shut up», Elisa protested, but even she had a smile on her face.
«So», Bradley began, between one laugh and the next, «we have no idea. We were just lucky, I guess».
«Sometimes it’s good to have some luck, at least», Jaspinder observed. Elisa privately agreed with her, but she remained very sceptical regarding the circumstances of their arrival on the new planet. She decided it was a good moment to stop listening to the conversation and beckoned Jaspinder to come closer. Steve moved to listen in, curiosity made person, but she shooed him away so they could talk in private.
«Jas, listen… do you want to talk about your outburst? You know, that night from before we saved them?» Her thumb pointed at the men and women sitting close by.
«No, not really…»
Elisa insisted. She was not going to be deterred so easily. «That wasn’t the usual you. Does it have to do with something that happened? Were you…?»
Jaspinder remained silent, her hands playing with her hair. After a minute or so, she turned to look at Elisa. «No, it wasn’t me… but I saw it happen. I was sixteen».
«Want to talk about it?»
«No… Sorry, Elisa. Thanks, but no. Another day, perhaps».
«Alright, but I’m here when you want to talk, ok?» She put her hand on Jaspinder’s shoulder.
«I know. Thank you, Elisa. Just… let’s look after the girl, okay? The one you saved. Líf-something… Tár’s daughter, or sister, I mean».
«Of course. That goes without saying».
Jaspinder smiled. «Thank you».
Elisa reciprocated, but her smile was strained; she wanted for it to be warm, reassuring, but she could not. Something kept nagging at her mind. She had a bad feeling.
***
The next three days went by in a flash. Tetsuo kept himself busy trying to learn more about their alien friends – the though was still strange to him. “Okkars”, as Tár had told him many times, was how they referred to themselves, whereas the ones who had taken them captives were either called “mannfolk” or “Voulvent”. He still was not sure what was the difference, but if he had to guess, the first term was more generic. He would learn with time, he was certain. The rest of the time he spent foraging for food, hunting, preparing camp, and teaching the rest of the team whatever he had learned during the day. His companions proved once again to be receptive and quick to learn, though with different levels of dedication. They all put in the effort, both on their own and on their evening “lessons”, but Tetsuo was ever so thankful for the recording cam in his helmet and the technology to share the videos with the rest of the team. Elisa, in particular, seemed to be the one with more ease in absorbing the knowledge. Perhaps she, too, wanted to distract herself and think of anything but their situation.
Eiðvörður, or “Ed” as Master Chief Anderson had decided to call him, also joined Tár in satisfying Tetsuo’s curiosity, and took the time to present his son, Sterkáin, and Eir, his daughter-in-law, to him and the rest of Charlie Team. The boy, around twenty years of age, looked like a younger and slender version of his father and was quite enthusiastic in the greetings. The only enthusiasm that Eir, a.k.a. “Lady Braids”, gave the team, however, was in the disgust of her stare. They managed to contain SO2 Cooper’s desire for messing around and talk to her, as it was apparent that she was not in the mood to be in their vicinity for more than strictly necessary, but Charlie Six’s confidence in saying that he would “make her open up to them, with time” worried Tetsuo’s diplomatic mind.
A different worry, that was not Tetsuo’s but was ever present among the Okkars, making it Charlie’s problem as well, was to exit the forest as soon as possible. It had been difficult, but he had managed to understand from Tár that the forest was “cursed” for lack of a better term; it made the people inside happy, angry, sad, scared and other things too, apparently, especially after sunset. Though it was not so clear as to how or why, Tetsuo had felt it in his mind, the subtle influence in certain moments – in the evening and when he had been stressed, mostly – and had seen the effects on his teammates.
«They have two names for it, sir. “Gleðiogsorg”, which stands for…» he checked his notes, «“happy and sad”… or “happiness and sadness”, from what I understood. The second name is “Lykofos” which means, uhm, “the light after sunset”, I think».
«So, “dusk” or “twilight”…»
«Aye, sir, but no vampires were mentioned».
Master Chief Anderson chuckled at that. «Good. Why two names, though? I’ll never be able to say the first one, but the second sounds easy enough».
«Because the second one is in another language, sir. From what I understood, it is a lingua franca from a country in the south called “Àrlam”».
«Man, I’d pay for a map right now… Anyway, the “Forest of Happiness and Sadness”, eh? Nah, too much on the nose. What do you guys think of “Forest of Joy and Sorrow”?»
«Very poetic. I didn’t know you had it in you, Brad. Now you know what you’ll do once you retire. You’ll be the new Walt Whitman». Senior Chief Rossi commented, not without humour.
The master chief ignored the jab. «I prefer “Forest of Twilight”, though, it sounds pretty cool. What was the original name? “Lykofos”?»
«Yes, sir».
«Lykofos…» Chief Anderson spoke the word as if tasting it. «Not bad, it has a nice sound».
«I say we just call it “The Forest”».
«Wow, Elisa, so original! And what happens when we find another forest, do we call it “a bunch of trees”?» SOCS Rossi was leaning heavily on sarcasm, and from his experience, Chief Schwartzman would respond in kind of with an insult.
«We’ll deal with it if and when we get there. Do you call by name all forests? Are they your secret lovers? Does Sofia know you are attracted to plants? You should see a professional, Al».
A tiny smile made its way on Tetsuo’s face at those words. It was small things like these banters that had him love working with his team.
***
«… and then, you know, I told them: “in Germany we say ‘if you feel the urge to laugh, you quickly go down to the basement’» Elisa snorted, trying to remain serious, but after only a couple of seconds she began to laugh out loud.
«I don’t get it» Jaspinder whispered, after a beat.
«Me neither, but don’t worry, her humour is just weird». Steve shook his head, not bothering to lower his voice.
«I can hear you. It’s not my fault if you can’t understand jokes».
Bradley chuckled. «Elisa, I’m sorry but if we’re talking about not getting jokes, you’re the last person that can complain». His observation was met with choral laughter, which she joined after flipping him off.
It was around four in the afternoon; they were taking a brief respite from their march north-west to rest. The day seemed nice, at least from what they could observe from under the thick canopy, but almost two weeks without seeing the sky would annoy anyone, and Elisa was no exception. That day too, like the previous eight, she checked the wounded and the ones still sick, satisfied that they were all on the road to recovery, on the outside at least. The women were still very much scarred by the abuse, some more than others, and distrust coupled with the language barrier greatly hindered her efforts to help them. The men were even worse; she knew for certain that some had been sexually assaulted as well, but none of them had asked for help and all always showed the same stoic behaviour. Each one of them had a recurring thousand-yard stare, and most were plagued by nightmares that would leave them screaming or crying upon waking up. To further complicate things, Elisa was not a psychologist or a therapist, so she could not even see the signs past the obvious, and did not know what to say or not to say. She was trained in emergency medicine and field medicine after all, her job was to keep her team alive so they could go back home; managing their mental health had always been someone else’s duty.
I haven’t felt this helpless in years… Elisa sighed as she stretched her neck side to side and loosened her stiff shoulders. She stood up and searched for Eith’s familiar figure; Tár was surely around the old giant. She found her talking to Lífsgleði. It was time to try again.
«Hello, Tár. How health? How she?»
«Hello, Healer Elisa. Mín health er good, but Lífsgleði er still katatónísk».
«She what?»
«She er katatónísk».
Elisa did not understand, so Tár tried a different approach. «She er asleep and awake».
«Okay. Me help, can me?»
At her nod, Elisa began to check on the girl. She complied with all her requests – the ones she could express physically, at least, not the verbal ones – but her eyes were still as dead as the day of the rescue.
«Wounds body, good. Wounds head, me do know not». Elisa could not say more, not because of the language barriers – not in this case at least – but because she felt the weight of her lack of knowledge. She held her tongue, lest she starts cursing, and could not help but clench her jaw and tighten her left hand so much that her arm was trembling.
Tár put a hand of her shoulder and stared into her eyes. Surprised, Elisa looked back, and saw worry and compassion there. «Do not worry. Do not anger. You hefur helped okkur mikið, and I thank you. Do not vera angry, or sad, or happy. Not here. No sterkar tilfinningar in Gleðiogsorg. Stjórnaðu yourself».
«Thank you, but “no” what in the… ehm… many-trees?».
Tár gestured at the trees around them. «Skogur».
Okay, “forest” is “skogur”.
Tár touched her own chest with her index finger. «No sterkar tilfinningar». To emphasise, she flexed her considerable bicep, and in rapid succession morphed her expression from crying, to laughing, to furious.
«Oh! Emotions! “Don’t be angry, sad or happy. No strong emotions in the forest”. Correct?»
«Yes».
«Okay, but… reason?» Elisa was beginning to get frustrated at her lacking knowledge of the language. She hated to dumb down the way she spoke.
«Unknown, but það eru stories of Our People or humans sem myrtu their companions because of ótta and mikilli anger. The sveit þessara bölvuðu human soldiers voru also fyrir áhrifum by Gleðiogsorg. They voru mjög violent when they took us».
«Wait, wait. Slow, please. Me understand hard. New words. Difficult words».
«The forest gerir people brjálað and violent. Sérstaklega when the sun goes down. They kill jafnvel their friends».
With a look of worry, Elisa filed the information away to report later to the others. It made no sense that a forest would make people violent, but nothing in their situation made sense, and she had seen strange things in her life that actually had a logical and scientific cause. The problem, however, was that there was no scientist around to study what caused erratic behaviour in the forest and find a solution. They had to trust the words of the natives and get out of there as soon as possible. There was no scepticism in her mind; in hindsight, she had seen firsthand her friends’ unusual behaviour, and felt something foul and slimy poisoning her thoughts. With that in mind, she concluded her check on Tàr and her daughter or sister and moved away. She had had no more luck in being allowed to check the rape victims’ intimate parts for injuries, but at least the rest of their bodies were mostly healthy. Even Vorsonur had recovered from his pneumonia, and Eir’s aid had been crucial in nursing him daily after the antibiotics had done their part; Elisa had received her help without the need to ask, and with other patients as well, but the woman still stared daggers at all of Charlie Team regardless.
With her mind occupied, she joined Bradley at the head of the column. It was time to resume their march.
***
The following day there was a gloomy atmosphere among the group. Even the light that filtered through the trees felt dimmer. Perhaps it was overcast – not that they could tell, the thick branches covered most of the sky, the evergreens that populated the forest having grown a lot in the fight to secure a spot with enough sunlight. The column was slow-moving and there had been no accidents, apart from a small tumble that had caused no injuries, only some mild embarrassment; Eldur, the red-haired hunter, had slipped on a wet rock and grabbed another young Okkar – likely around 20 years old – to keep on his feet, but only ended up making him fall as well, in a scene out of a slapstick comedy, to the amusement of everybody around them. The two young men joined the good-hearted laughter that eased some of the tension in the air; a few men and women even looked like they had a little less weight on their backs, standing just a bit taller and with a faint smile on their face.
Around noon they took the usual break to rest and eat. No game that day, nor on the previous one, so they filled their bellies with only what they could forage. Water, luckily, was abundant; the forest was populated by various smaller brooks and creeks from which they could drink greedily and replenish their reserves.
As they sat down, Elisa spoke once again about what Tár had told her the previous afternoon. «I’ve been thinking… it makes sense now, you know. After we found out that our target wasn’t where it should have been, I was gripped by crippling fear, a terror unlike anything I’d ever felt».
«I, too, was taken by my emotions», Bradley intervened, «both on that day and… when we freed them. When Elisa and I rescued the girl, Lìf».
Steve cracked open a walnut, or what passed for one over there. «What happened in that tent, Chief?»
«I don’t want to talk about it».
«That bad, huh? Well, I know for sure that me and Jas got bamboozled by fireflies while we searched for the enemy compound».
«Wait, what?» Alessandro sported his trademark raised eyebrow as well as an amused smirk.
«Yeah, it was a beautiful sight», Jaspinder replied, voice dreamy, «but we also stood there for minutes, sitting ducks high on, well, happiness». She laughed, a joyful melody that never failed to lift Elisa’s mood, and this time was no exception.
«You also lost control that night when you stormed off to the river to calm down, SO2 Khalid».
«Tetsuo, stop being so formal all the time, you’ll get older sooner. What would you think of me if I always called you “SO1 Kusanagi”?» Elisa asked.
«I would think the best of you, ma’am. That is my rank and surname, so I see nothing wrong with being called in such way». Tetsuo’s face betrayed no emotion, no indication he was joking.
«One day», Al chimed in, index pointed at their Japanese friend, «I’ll prove that you’re doing all this for fun, that you’re laughing inside because you secretly enjoy being an annoying stickler to the rules».
«I would never dream of making fun of you, sir». A perfect reply, said with a straight face. Of course it made everyone else snort in amusement.
Bradley took back the reins of the conversation. «Anyway, you too have been influenced by this forest, Al, and not just once. You told me yourself».
«True».
«Count me as well», Elisa said. «I’ve had this… unexplainable fear gripping my guts ever since we met that green leopard, or whatever it was. And it only got worse after what happened in that tent…»
«Which you won’t tell us». Steve complained.
Elisa looked at him. She felt spent. «No, I won’t. Not until Brad says it’s fine to talk about it».
«What about you, old man?»
«I have always felt in control until now, SO2 Cooper. Perhaps my emotions have not run as high as yours in the last days».
«Well, considering that to get you to lose your self-control last time we only needed around forty people shooting at us, I’d say it’s good you kept your cool these last days». Alessandro quipped.
«Sir, you make it look like I can’t keep cool under fire».
Bradley laughed. «Tetsuo, nobody ever told you that when you’re in a firefight you have a huge, happy grin plastered on your face? I’m just waiting for the day when you start shouting “More dakka!”». He clapped his hands once. «Listen up, guys! We leave in ten. Let’s move!»
Everyone began preparing in order to move out soon. Elisa and Tetsuo checked the remaining food, Brad and Steve moved upfront to discuss which path to take, and Jaspinder and Alessandro went to call those Okkars that had wanted a modicum of privacy and were not close by.
A minute later, a heart-wrenching scream broke the silene.
Elisa jerked her head in the direction of the sound. «Scheiße! What was that?»
«Wait... that sounded like Tàr’s voice», Tetsuo said, standing up.
«Are you sure?»
«Yes, we have been conversing a lot these past few days, I can easily recognize it. We should go see what hap—»
«This is Five! Medic to my position! Now!» Jaspinder was breathing heavily, her voice frantic, so distressed that she even forgot to close the channel. «No, no, no. Not again, fuck! Not this time! Stay alive, don’t you fucking die on me!»
Elisa sprang into action, running at full speed towards the blue dot that marked her friend’s position on her visor, Tetsuo on her tail.