The young experimental Triads are made up of the smallest primate tribe of Humans – Oscar and Xiomara; the smallest canine pack of Kiiote – six, pack leaders Qap and Xurf; and the smallest camelid herd of Yown’Hoo – a prime eleven, Dao-hi the Herd mother. On nursery farms and ranches away from the TC cities, Humans have tended young Yown’Hoo and Kiiote in secret for decades, allowing the two, warring people to reproduce and grow far from their home worlds.
“We had nearly fallen into stagnation when we encountered the Kiiote.”
“And we into internecine war when we encountered the
Yown’Hoo.”
“Yown’Hoo and
Kiiote have been defending themselves for a thousand revolutions of our Sun.”
“Together, we
might do something none of us alone might have done…a destiny that included
Yown’Hoo, Kiiote, and Human.” (2/19/2015)
“Let’s get moving.”
I glanced at my watch – cellphones
had disappeared a long time ago; before I was born, I guess. Mechanical watches
survived the high energy, electromagnetic pulses the Yown’Hoo and Kiiote fought
with. Humans hadn’t stood much of a chance of remaining a technological
civilization when all-out war broke over Earth. “Good luck, my friends.” No one
else spoke as the three Kiiote, in four-legged form loped up the exit to the
surface. It was winter and by now, it would be dark. Cold, probably, too. I
wished I could go with them…
The rest of us continued on for five more kilometers in the
tunnel, pretty much silent except for directions and like, “tactical”
conversations from Retired to Group Two. This time, Xurf, Fax, Doj and leader
Zei-go with Hil-hi-el, Jus-hi-el, and Eel-go-el. They’d plant their trackers
underground, exit, then go to the surface through an old fueling station,
coming out through a false floor in an historic repair bay. Retired said, “You
have an actual mission.”
Xurf, the male Pack leader, made a faint query noise.
Retired heard only that, though. I could hear the undertone of nervousness and
doubt. Xurf rarely had to lead alone. Now all of a sudden, besides just getting
a third of the Triad to the surface, avoiding any search teams from the Cities
– and any independent community’s patrols – he was going to have to…
“We need not only supplies of food, but we need to contact
someone on the surface here who we can trust to get us transportation to
Grendl.”
“You know someone near here?” I said.
Retired blinked, like I’d surprised him. He didn’t say
anything for a moment, then, “Yes, Oscar. There’s a contact here, while not a
sympathizer of the Triad Corporation, she also does much care for what the
Yown’Hoo and Kiiote have done to Earth. I’ve spoken with her before,” he
grinned faintly, “She’s even older than me.”
I was going to make a smart aleck remark. Xio looked at me
so I shut my mouth. I couldn’t just be a ‘kid’ anymore. I was a Human and while
the Pack and Herd leaders were otherwise occupied, I was the defector leader…in
training.
Fax. Shit. He was my…I don’t know. He just was. I considered
him part of my own little Human Tribe as well as part of the Triad. I had
feelings for him beyond the ones I had for all of the group. Weird feelings, if
you had to know. A lot. He was my best friend. I mean, I loved Xio, but that
was like a sister. And it’s not like I’ve never seen any other Humans before.
The Triad – at least me a Xio – have been out and about the Cities on
expeditions and stuff, mostly with the Master, Mother Kan Yuen. I never say
much about her because she lives undercover in the Cities. She teaches us very
specific lessons, but we have to go to here because she’s so old. I said,
“Older than Mother Kan?”
Retired looked surprised, then shook his head. “Not as old
as Mother Yuen.” He used the old term for her – because we studied multiple
Human cultures, we knew that the Family name in most Asian cultures was the
first name. Most of Retired’s generation used the second name as the last name.
Dummies. No wonder Humanity was a fractured mess when the Kiiote-Yown’Hoo war
came on us. He continued, “They’ll contact her and she’ll get some form of
transportation for you to bring to us.”
Xurf looked up at him, “We’ll have to manipulate a Human
vehicle?”
He shrugged, “If you used one from the Kiiote, not only
would it become a target for the Yown’Hoo, it would be way too conspicuous for
any Human community.”
“You mean they’d try and destroy it because they hate us?”
Xurf said, unfolding from his four-legged form and taking his two-legged form.
Even Retired waited politely until the process was complete.
Retired bit his lip, but it was Great Uncle Rion who said,
“Of course they would. This is a world at war.” He gestured to Xurf then the
Herd Mother. “Your people hate each other. Do you think that if we took some
form of transport belonging to either of your peoples it would escape notice?” They
both had the grace to be ashamed, Xurf tucking her tail; Dao-hi letting her tentacles
slip half out of their sheaths. Even I hung my head. “It will be some beat-up piece
of Human shit…” GURion paused. I’d never heard it cuss in front of us. I knew it
did, GURion had been around for over a hundred years. It knew how to behave around
Humans. It even cussed when it didn’t think I was listening, but it’d kept it clean
when it’d been with us. Any doubt I had that it cared about the outcome of our flight
from the war I blew out just then with a long sigh.
Fine then. “All right, everyone back down. Team Two, get ready
to head for the surface. Xurf, take one of the others with you and let them hear
your destination directions. Only two of you.” Retired gave me a look. Irritated?
Offended? Nah, I suddenly realized, respect. I ignored it. “Just don’t both of you
get killed.” Xurf fell back into her four-footed form and trotted after Retired.
The Yown’Hoo Zei-go followed. Already I could see growth in the Yown’Hoo. Those
who earned responsibility grew larger, tapping the subcutaneous fat stores. It already
looked leaner, faster.
When they got back to what was left of the group, I nodded to
Xurf and she led them up the tunnel then to the surface.
***
Xurf paused, taking a deep breath of the air of the Human world.
Even though it was the only place she’d ever known, she also could tell it smelled
‘wrong’. Not bad. She loved her Human Pack members. But she also knew it wasn’t
the same as the Pack homeworld.
Plus, the basement of the fueling station was full of leaks.
Volatiles had seeped into the ground, poisoning both the land and the air around
it. Snarling a grin, she set off for the escape path Retired had shared with them.
Her respect for the elder Human grew more still as her third of the Triad broke
to the surface and headed west. The scent from the material Retired had shared with
her was strong in her mind. She would find the Human and they would move on to the
next step of their flight.
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