“Well this is obviously a fucking trap.” Simone states as the three crewmembers watch the video for the twentieth time.
Chak looks up, clutching the datapad as though it’s her own child.
“What? Why would you think that?” she asks in disbelief.
Mentally kicking herself for being such a blunt asshole, Simone clears her throat.
"I know that your brother still being alive and waiting for you is amazing news. But think Chak. Why now? Especially since your face was plastered on the Kamoi’s news. A bit of a coincidence right?” Simone reasons.
“But this is him! His face, voice and cadence! I spoke to him last just before he left for his expedition!” Chak asserts.
“Facial and voice replication tech isn’t hard to get.” Simone counters.
“But the codes! If it wasn’t him he wouldn’t be able to send this message at all!”
Simone leans back on the wall.
“I don’t know the details of these code’s protocols, but I don’t have to. There’s always a work around, an unknown factor or enough persistence in a bastard to make it work.” Simone looks over to Chucknuq. “Are you absolutely certain beyond a doubt that those codes couldn’t be retrieved or stolen somehow?”
Chucknuq removes his captain’s cap and scratches at his head.
“I’m not saying it’s not impossible. But even the King doesn't have access, no doubt if he did it would be readily given to those who pursue us. We would have already dealt with something of this nature.” the Captain says.
“Could be a third party that they have recently acquired them.” Simone says
“But why contact us now so soon after Kamoi? Wouldn't they think we’d be skeptical?” Chucknuq counters.
“Guys, no offense. But I’m the only one of us saying it could be a trap. You would be gunning it there otherwise.”
Simone watches as the hope in her crewmates gradually perish. She sighs sharply.
“The best case scenario in my mind is that if that’s really him and he survived. Then he’s just being used for his codes.”
The Cali reaches down and grabs Simone’s hand firmly. Her eyes from the floor look up to the Terran’s.
“If you're correct in that, then I must try to save him. He’s the last family I have. I know you could easily be right. But I have to try… Please Simone...” the Cali pleads.
Chak’s eyes don’t widen, she doesn’t bounce, she just squeezes the Terran’s hand and looks at her in earnest plea.
“I have a bad feeling about this. I told you why. If you still want to charge in, I'm not going to stop you, and I’ll obviously accompany you. Just doing my job you hired me to do.” The Terran states before pulling her hand away. “But if we’re going to a frozen hellscape we’ll need some appropriate gear.”
Chucknuq nods and sits himself down in his station.
“We’ll make a stop at the next station along the way!” he announces in affirmation.
“Update me then, I’ll be in my quarters.” Simone dismisses wasting no time to make her way past the Cali and down the walkway.
Chak watches her leave, wanting to follow but can’t bring herself to.
“Give her a moment Ms. Chakalata’motaas. She is burdened with something you can’t hope to lift.” the Captain says sternly.
Chak turns to him, concerned.
“What do you mean?”
“Call it an ol’ soldier’s intuition. This isn’t the first time she had to follow orders she disagreed with.
“Oh, but I’d never order her to.” Chak argues softly.
“Ms. Chakalata’motaas. Do you really think she considered herself to have a choice in the matter? That sort of request from you, might as well be an order.”
Seeing his point, the Cali grips the datapad to her chest.
Simone locks her door. She knows why Chak is set on this next venture, and it’s not like Simone can’t grant that there’s a chance she’s wrong. Still, she’s become pretty good at feeling these things out.
Uncomfortable knots begin twisting in her gut, chest and head. Anxiety spikes over and over and an unrelenting energy builds. Looking around her room, Simone stamps a foot, seeking a way to relieve stress.
Lasering her eyes to her bed a solution is found.
“It’s been a while, but I need this.” she thinks before checking the door again, ensuring no one can walk on in.
Leaning over with a single arm she grabs the mattress and arranges it vertically up against the wall. She gets into a proper stance, and thrusts her left fist.
“It’ll do…” she confirms before opening the Net and playing her favorite workout song on loop.
Keeping light on her feet, Simone begins battering away at the helpless opponent. She wishes her dominant arm is available, but all this aggressive twisting and hopping is reviving enough soreness as it is.
She continues this for several hours, finding her zen by the fifteen minute mark. Her mind empties for a time, her aggression focuses. The only reason why she stops is when her right shoulder begins to inflame and the pain becomes too much to ignore.
Although not a very smart workout, the Terran concoction of dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins do their magic.
Simone lays down on her back as a sweaty mess. Her mind now clear, she reevaluates the earlier conversation.
“I’m such an asshole.” she whispers to herself.
Her concerns haven’t changed, she still hates the idea.
“But if I am wrong… man I hope I’m wrong… please be wrong.”
Before stiffness can take over Simone forces herself back up, that heated tub in the spa sounds amazing right now.
Stepping out, the Terran looks down the hall to Chak’s door. For a moment she considers knocking and apologizing for her demeanor earlier. Though the tenseness of it all dissuades her, at least until she can clean herself up a bit.
Making her way the other direction Simone wraps around into the other hall. Opening the door she hears a shower already running.
“Oh, hello?” Chaks voice chirps nervously.
“Just me.” Simone answers as she retracts her first step from the room. “Sorry, I’ll just come back later.”
“Oh! No you’re fine! I was hoping to speak with you actually!”
“You sure? From previous experiences the public baths tend to clear out when the deathworlder walks in.”
“For klat’s sins, I’m fine Simone!” a Cali’s hand reaches past a curtain in a dismissive wave.
“Alright… I’ll just be over in the tub. Okay?” Simone cautiously walks in uncertain if to make her steps as loud or as quiet as possible for Chak’s benefit.
“I trust you Simone.” Chak reinforces.
“Still, I don't want your instincts to lock up your legs in the shower. Last thing we need is you crack’n your head open if you fall-ah!”
As Simone carefully passes by, the curtain is thrown open in surprise. An unusually smug soap coated Cali snickers quickly closes herself in again.
“You little…” Simone utters, feeling her heart catch up.
“If instincts can’t stop me from spooking a big scary Terran while cornered in a place like this, I think I can handle you relaxing nearby.”
Simone blinks with an image burned in her eyes.
“This woman... is going to be the end of me… killer hips though.” she internally admits, before shaking that stupidly dangerous line of thought out and moves on.
“Point taken.” she says as she steps up to the inlay floor tub and undresses.
The Terran looks at the temperature gage and jacks it up to its max setting.
Sinking into the steaming liquid Simone releases a drawn out breath of bliss. She dunks her entire head down and holds her breath for a minute until she starts to hear a muffled voice speaking. Coming back up it takes a second for her ears to clear.
“-and I can understand that…” Chak’s voice says unsteadily.
“Sorry Bo Peep, had my head under the water. Can you repeat that?”
“Oh… um… It’s not important.” the Cali responds rather flustered.
Having a good idea of what she is on about, Simone sinks to her chin.
“Sorry for being an ass earlier. You have every right to want to go save your brother. It’s just when I get a bad feeling about something, it’s hard see'n anything else.” she says in earnest.
The Cali is silent for a short moment.
“I’m glad you spoke your mind. I’m not delusional over the odds… but I still have to try.”
“I know. And I’ll be there.” Simone assures.
“But… I want you to know… you don’t have to be.” Chak says barely over the sound of the shower. “If I ask you to do something you don’t want to do. You can say no. I don’t want to take that choice away from you.”
Simone narrows her eyes peeking back, ready to assure the Cali. Until the truth clearly states otherwise in her mind.
“You’re not the one taking away the choice. I am.” she admits.
“I don’t understand…”
“Yeah, I think that’s for the best.” Simone says as the shower turns off.
“No, it’s not. Help me understand.” Chak argues.
Simone bites her cheek.
“I’m not sure you can, Chak.”
The Cali walks out wrapped in a towel.
“Even if that’s the case, you can tell me.” Chak says as she sees the back of Simone’s head lean forward.
“No.” Simone mutters sternly.
Disappointed, the Cali crosses her arms.
“Okay. Whatever it is, just know I've been through horrible things too. I’ve seen my whole family dwindle and die. I’m not foolish enough to compare pain, especially since I don’t know yours yet. But I know pain. When you're ready, I’ll listen to yours.”
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
Simone remains silent until Chak takes her leave.
“You’ll listen… but you won’t want me around anymore.” she promises an empty room.
-
Bundled in thick, electrically heat-generating garb, Simone fixes narrow darkened goggles over her eyes.
“Last chance, are you sure you want to come with? We still don’t know what we’re walking into.” the Terran looks down to Chak doing the same.
“If he is alive, he needs to see me and not just a lone Terran. Oh, no offense of course! He may think you’re after him is all.”
“No, no you’re right. Still, if this is an ambush it puts you into a lot of danger.”
“Then it’s fortunate you’ve taught me how to use this.” Chak points to the pulse rifle strapped to her back.
“Barely, hitting a sack of rice on non-lethal settings is very different from using it against an active opponent.” Simone reminds.
“Understood.” the Cali agrees.
Chucknuq slithers out of the newly rented shuttle resting in the cargo bay.
“Looks to be in order! I’ve gone ahead and set up the automated course to the provided coordinates and back. Shame the Kwip-Chap isn’t suited for dynamic atmospheric travels, let alone the dreadful storms down below. She’d get tossed around like a zig in a nuclear throttle manifold. Ha!”
“Thanks Cap, do we have any intel on the planet?” Simone asks.
“Unfortunately no. It’s listed as an extremely environmentally hazardous planet so very few actually dare step foot. It’s been in a perpetual ice age as far as the records go, but it has a thin yet breathable oxygen atmosphere. The name was designated as ‘Hoth-2’ by early Terran mining surveyors.”
“Of fucking course it was.” Simone grumbles with a roll of her covered eyes.
“What’s wrong with the name? It sounds cute! Hoth...” Chak says.
“Name’s fine. Just Terrans being Terrans.” Simone dismisses. “Ready?”
Chak nods, stepping up to Chucknuq she gives him a signature hug. One which he returns.
“If he’s there, we’ll bring him back.” she promises.
“If he’s not, make sure you come back Ms. Chakalata’motaas.” the Captain orders.
“Of course.”
Chak enters the shuttle and straps herself in. Simone follows, but first gently clasps a hand down on Chucknuq’s shoulder.
“I doubt we will be able to communicate with you through comms when we’re down there. If we’re not back in five hours, assume something went wrong. Go back and send us another shuttle.”
“I beg the stars, it won't come to that. It’ll take another twenty hours before you'll see the second shuttle.” the captain cautions.
“Regardless, she will make it. You have my word.” Simone assures, passing him by before sitting across from Chak.
With nothing but the highest confidence, Chucknuq salutes the two as the door begins to slide shut.
“Good luck! May the stars guide you!” he declares before the vacuum seal activates.
The captain then turns and leaves the cargo bay to lock it down for decompressing. The shuttle then lifts and aligns itself with the loading door.
Silently, the loading door opens, allowing the shuttle to slowly maneuver out into open space. Picking up speed, the craft begins its trajectory down towards the planet’s atmosphere.
Chak sits clenching her upper fists as the craft begins to tilt and rattle from entry. Then the torrential frozen winds pick up like a third rate discount store blender. The shuttle buckles from the lashing and batters the insides of the occupants to a near sickening degree.
The Cali can’t help but hyperventilate and shake as the flying death shell combats the planet’s nature.
Simone leans forward and outreaches both of her hands upturned to Chak who immediately accepts them and grips for dear life.
“I’m right here, just keep squeezing.” Simone comforts stiffly.
Chak nods, closing her eyes in hopes to limit her focus on anything else.
“How are you so fearless? Are Terran’s simply not afraid of anything?” Chak says through gritted teeth.
“I’m scared of a lot of things. It’s just this isn’t my first hot drop, I’m an ex marine, remember?”
“But you never look scared to me.” Chak pushes.
“That’s just because I’m good at pretending I’m not. So good, sometimes I convince myself.”
“I wish I could do such a thing. But my body doesn’t let me…” Chak admits with a forced chuckle. “Even right now, I couldn’t move my legs even if I tried…”
“You want to know what scares me?” Simone offers.
“...What scares you?”
“People, I don’t really fit into any crowds anymore. Clowns, blame my dad for that one. Deep water, fucking terrifiying. Myself. And you.” the Terran lists.
This makes Chak’s eyes open, puzzled.
“Me? You’re scared of me? How?” she asks perplexed.
“I honestly couldn’t give you a good answer, I don’t really know. What I do know? You’re bold, and you speak your mind without sounding like an asshole, like me. That integrity of good character is scary I guess? You’ll make a great queen someday, that’s for sure.”
That last sentence hits something inside Chak.
“I can’t be the next queen. I don’t care if I’m truly the only valid option left, I refuse.” she says rather coldly.
“Not what you want from life? I get that.” Simone acknowledges.
“I was the hundredth and second in line. I studied other species' cultures in my education and dabbled in the arts. I was already abroad when the mass murder of my family began. I… was never expected to ever be queen… our counselors didn’t care that I wanted to explore the stars. They didn’t pay any mind that I wished to never bear children. They didn’t even bat an eye to me… being interested in other women. But if my father’s ever deposed… that will all change.”
Simone leans further forward feeling anger spike.
“That’s barbaric… they can’t just-”
“By law, they can’t force me to follow in our queen’s traditions of bearing as many children as possible. I can refuse, but I’d be a publicly shamed royal prisoner in my own home. Hated by many for selfishly ending the line and forsaking my duty. And I’d be in constant fear of my safety.”
Simone’s hands softly squeeze back.
“That’s not selfish of you. You have the right to your own life. You owe nothing to them.” she says firmly.
Chak nods.
“Oh… I know. I’m already known to be very outspoken on such things. I’ve pushed for change in our most traditionalist laws that have stubbornly lingered since the days before flying though the stars. There was progress, before my father stepped in, that is.”
Simone unbuckles herself and situates herself right next to Chak.
“They will just have to deal. If they don’t, your Chief of Security is reeally good at her job.” Simone assures.
“Heh… but then she would be considered an abductor of royalty. She’s good, but can she single handedly take on the entirety of the Cali military?” Chak points out as she leans her head against Simone.
“Why the hell not.” Simone states with a grim smile.
The rest of the hour-long trip goes by in silence. When the shuttle begins its descent within range of the landing zone Simone stands at the ready, triple checking her gear.
“Stay close to me, and keep your head down until we understand what’s going to happen next. Don’t hesitate to use me as a meat shield, got it?”
“Understood.” Chak affirms as she is fortunately able to stand as well.
“I do hope I’m wrong. We could use a break.” Simone says as the craft lands and sinks a bit into the snow.
“We do… be sure to keep comms open to each other, it’s going to be windy.” Chak adds.
“Good call.” Simone grants as she presses the indicator to open the shuttle door.
Immediately, as Chak understated they are both deafened by the whipping white torrent outside.
“GRAB ON TO MY COAT!” Simone roars, still barely audible over the comms.
Clutching herself from the piercing cold, Chak spares an upper arm to take hold of the bottom rim of the thick coat. She gives it an affirmative tug.
The two led by Simone move out crunching and sinking into easily two feet of cold powder. Thankfully the gravity is only slightly more than the Cali is used to, as the trugging alone is difficult enough.
Although Simone can’t see it, the shuttle should have parked door-side to the front of the facility. So she blindly marches on hoping not to be heading towards a sheer cliff or some other bullshit she didn’t have time for.
Thankfully within ten feet a dark half buried structure reveals itself. They push on to the door with a manual twisting handle. Simone does the honors and pushes in the admittedly heavy door. The inside is dimly lit, and no one is in sight.
Not wanting the freezing Cali to bear the outside for long she ushers her in and seals the door behind them.
The lack of any sound at all, other than a few low stress creaks, causes its own whiplashing deafening effect.
“Alright, just stay quiet until we see more.” Simone whispers.
Chak nods rubbing her sides.
Simone unholsters her plasma colt with her left hand and ventures forward.
The first room is a wide lounge, dried blackened splatters and smears all over the floor. Upon further inspection there’s clear weapon’s fire impacts along the walls and furniture.
“So this place was attacked… old markings as well.” Simone figures as she continues.
Through an already open left door, Simone enters a narrow hallway. The walls open with windows revealing labs and material collection storage.
Her heavy boots crunch down on what remained of a shattered window. She stops, looking through the window to see what could only be the result of a thrown explosive device. Blackened char claims the floor and stained shard fragments pepper the walls. Although the bodies are nowhere to be seen, the stench of death lingers.
This place in the Terran’s mind grows more and more concerning. The dim lights at the very least remain steadily lit. Looking forward to the end of the hall is a doorless communications room.
Simone can tell from distinct blast marks around the doorway frame that it was forced into its current state.
Whoever came here, they weren’t fucking around.
Chak covers her muzzle, fighting the air of rotting. Eyes darting every which way in hopes of finding any sign of Brom. He was always brave and shared the same spark of adventure-lust Chak has, but he still must have been terrified living here with so much death, all alone.
The communications room is shot up to all hell, but an aftermarket ramshackled collection of wires and tech stuck out of the side.
“So someone did try to throw something together.” Simone whispers as she kneels down to inspect the mess of the junk.
“Oh, then it must have been Brom correct?” Chak responds hopefully.
“Hm… maybe. Problem though... Either he disassembled his work after sending the message, or this was never finished.” Simone informs as she pushes around the tech.
“How can you tell?”
“I’m no technician, but even I know you need more than this to send a message across so much open space. Especially on this planet.” Simone explains.
“Well… maybe the communication terminal is more operational than it looks?” Chak points out.
“Yeah, let’s see.” the Terran grants as she looks over the terminal.
Pressing startup buttons and power elevators seem to result in no response.
“Look!” Chak chirps a little too loudly.
Simone looks over to see a small white blinking light.
“It’s a documentation record black box. It should have the mission statement of the facility and any outgoing distress messages recorded.” Chak explains.
“That may be a bit loud but...You go ahead and review it, I’ll keep watch.” Simone states as she steps away and stands guard by the blown down door.
Almost eagerly, Chak presses down on the button below the light. There’s a low hum as facility power shifts. A wall mounted cracked screen lights up, catching both of their attention.
Instead of the expected mission statement, there stands Brom identically to the previous recording. He clears his throat with a grim, serious expression.
“Chak… I have so much that I want to tell you, so much to say. But I’ll keep this quick as I’m not that petty.”
Confused and worried Chak wanders closer to the screen.
“I’m no longer there. In fact I’ll most likely be as far as I can get from that hell I stewed in for three years by the time you arrive. So many bodies… so much blood, and I was unfortunate enough to survive. Not only that… but knowing all our brothers and sisters are massacred as well… to say my perspective has shifted is quite the understatement. How could this happen? Why? But I remembered something… you… you and Father. You meddled in the courts, shifted our laws, and somehow gave an opportunity for Father to take control. No wonder why he was so supportive of your efforts. I don’t know if you were compliant or a pawn to his scheme… but the fact that you are the last alive speaks volumes... obviously Father no longer finds you useful, with a bounty such as yours. A bounty me and my subordinates can use to kickstart a movement to claim our world back. Civil war if we must. I’ll send for your frozen body in a few weeks time, know that in your death… you actually help our people. And know that the judgment of our slain kin waits for you in the afterlife. For the blood on your hands, is theirs. Goodbye, kin-slayer.”
Cali don’t shed tears, rather the red in their eyes dim to a near-gray. To resemble the distress of death itself. Like the partial removal of their very soul.
Falling to her knees, Chak holds herself and shakes.
Simone slowly holsters her plasma colt and takes a step towards the sobbing Cali.
“Chak… I’m so sorry but we have to-” she tries to warn, not liking the implication of being frozen.
“He’s alive! Simone! My brother is ALIVE!!!” Chak screams as she leans down, tapping her stubby horns against the floor.
A release of pressurized relief escapes the Cali like erupting steam.
The air around the duo begins to hum, but only the Terran picks up on it. Looking around with a growing sense of unease she steps closer to the prone Cali.
Suddenly a high pitched electrical scream kicks in like a wrathful banshee coming home with a grudge. Simone turns to see the terminal power up, as all the intact lights blare brightly. There’s a shudder and intense leakage of thin blue smoke trailing up in electrical stress.
“Chak!” Simone barks as she intends to lunge for her companion, expecting a volatile explosion.
However, the explosion is not one of blistering fire or a concussive flesh shredding blast. Rather the lights die and go dark. Then the communicators and lenses adorning the two go berserk in signals and power fluctuations. A volatile energy from the intense disruption surges through their minds causing both Cali and Terran to topple over, unconscious.