January 25, 2018

LOVE IN A TIME OF ALIEN INVASION 79: The Trials of Group Three

On Earth, there are three Triads intending to integrate not only the three peoples and stop the war that threatens to break loose and slaughter Humans and devastate their world; but to stop the war that consumes Kiiote economy and Yown’Hoo moral fiber. All three intelligences hover on the edge of extinction. The merger of Human-Kiiote-Yown’Hoo into a van der Walls Society might not only save all three – but become something not even they could predict. Something entirely new...

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)

“All right, everyone back down the tunnel. 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. The sounds of their feet scrabbling on the concrete faded. Another second and there was a metallic shriek followed by a tremendous crash.

Lieutenant Commander Bakhsh (ret) looked over at me but didn’t say a word. My Great Uncle Rion did the same. I opened my mouth, looked at the door to the surface, and closed it.

“Oscar?” said Retired.

“Uh, yeah?”

“What’s next?”

“Uh…” the Triad that remained, them, Da0-hi, Lan-ma-ti, Por-go-el, Xio, Seg-go, Ali-go, Nah-hi-el, and me…still had to keep moving. We could still be caught by…whoever was following us. I started off and what remained of the Triad followed. I slowed until I was walking beside Retired. The others passed me and when she did, I said to Xio, “Your team is up to the surface next. Lead the group. Great Uncle Rion, would you walk with her and help her with strategy? Retired and I will catch up with you.”

She gave me a weird look. For a second, I didn’t know what she was going to say. Nothing, it turns out. She nodded and moved ahead with her typical long-legged stride. For a moment, I forgot she was my sister – practically speaking – and noticed she looked more than strong. More than smart. More than…

“Down, boy,” said Retired next to me.

“What?” I started, walking to catch up with him.

“There’s no time for that. You’re running for your lives…” he shook his head and said, “Adolescents,” like it was a curse.

I sighed. He’d seen my reaction when I was standing in front of him being scanned for electronic or bioelectronic bugs. I knew what I felt about Fax. “Yeah,” I said. “Hell.” He gave me a look then a smirk. “The map. I want to see if I remember it. We were sort of in a hurry when you tossed it up on the windshield.”

“You have an eidetic memory.”

“True. But I don’t think I just want to trust to memory when everyone is counting on me to lead them.” He suddenly slapped me on the shoulder. “What was that for?” I blurted.

Nodding, he said, “Proud of you, kid. Now. Tell me what you remember.”

I rolled my shoulder like he’d hurt me, but the truth of it was that it had felt good. Like he trusted me. Weird, I know. But there you go. “Before I do though, tell me what you think of my guess.” Thinking about the map ever since we got underground, there were three odd markings on it. “At the exit of each of the tunnels they’re taking, I saw three little marks. Characters.” We kept walking for a while. If what I guessed was wrong, Retired would laugh at me and I’d lose whatever good feelings he had for me. But if I was right, then this whole “running away” thing wasn’t what it appeared to be.

“Well?”

“One was the Kii Basic character for Old Pack. That’s Group One’s mission; that’s why you sent Qap, Qilf, and Towt. They’re going to meet up with a Pack ally living on Earth.” He didn’t say anything. “OK, I’ll take that as a yes. Group Two…there wasn’t any symbol there, so I’m going to suggest that they’re going to get some form of transportation that can take all of us to Grendl. And be able to defend us. Probably made by the Kiiote.” He still didn’t speak, walking alongside me. “Xio’s leading the third group and there was a Chinese character for Master next to their exit. Group four is led by Dao-hi, and as near I could figure there was a word in Y’eh 2349, I’m pretty sure meant ‘Primeval’. These are the Organizers.” Retired hummed but carefully did not nod or give any other sign of either approval. “And I leave at the end. Alone.” A grunt. “To do something…”

Retired said abruptly, “You’ll find out when it’s time.” Then he lengthened his stride and I had to run to catch up.

It was a long and boring hike and somewhere in the middle of it, when we stopped to sleep, Retired disappeared. Just like that, he was gone. I should have known he would do this. All that approval stuff was just a set up to get me to lead the Triad – what was left of us. Once we got to the surface exit, me and Xio – and the younger Herd members had hashed out their pecking order. GURion refused to help me lead, it wasn’t like Retired. It had its own agenda. So the departure of Group Three was sort of dark thing for me. I’d be the last Human in the group with a robot, the Herd Mother Dao-hi, and two of the youngest Herd members.

The only startling part was that Xio kissed me before she left. Absolutely NOT like a sister. After we pulled apart, she also punched me in the chest and said, “Don’t take this the wrong way, ‘Car, but I’m pretty sure you’re not my type.” She paused, “I might be interested in older me.” She gave me a dirty leer, adding, “Much older men.”

Then she led her team up the tunnel to the surface.

****

Xio found the ladder leading up and shook her head. “How the hell are you supposed to climb this?”

Seg-go and Ali-go, males who held equivalent rank in the Herd, often spoke at the same time, which resulted in them hip-checking each other until one of them managed to knock the other over. Xio snapped, “Enough! Seg-go, you speak for both of you! We don’t have time to decide rank right now. After our first night stop, I’ll let you two battle it out, but now I’m making an executive call.”

Ali-go pulled it’s tentacles free, ready to fight, but Xio landed a kick on the side of his head before he could even raise them up to do battle with Seg-go. “I said wait. Then, if you want me to kick you some more, I’d be happy to figure out which one of us is stronger.”

The Yown’Hoo backed down, sheathing its tentacles and crouching some in front of his brother. Nah-hi-el was still small and fast – but had nothing approaching their rank in the Herd. It was lucky that it was still alive and it knew it.

Seg-go said, “I can see a side tunnel here. Send the least into it to see where it leads.”

Xio nodded, and said, “Go.”

The small Yown’Hoo dug its claws into the earth and ran. They could hear it scrambling for some time. Shortly it returned. “It is a much disused ramp and my stronger brothers will of need go on first joint to move freely, but it exits in a large, Human built room.”

Xio said, “We go. Now. We have no time to waste. I will lead.” She ducked into the tunnel, glad she wasn’t any taller than she was. All she needed to do was crouch. ‘Car would have had to crawl. Retired…she cut off that line of thought. He was an old man. Probably would have had to slither, getting all muddy. And wet. She swallowed hard and led her team upward and into an abandoned storage room to find a door with no handle.


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