Fire and Ice

As the noise of the warriors outside moved away, Darby cautiously began to move along the edge of the wall away from the cracked window. Her eyes still flicked over the equipment in the room and she again pondered their use and the operations that had plagued this whole area and of course their fate. But...she couldn’t afford to wait any longer, she needed to find a safe place to hide, but she also knew that she needed to discover the secrets the colony held. Why had it been abandoned? And where were the colonists? A variety of questions crossed her mind as she pressed her body against the ageing cracking plaster of the outer dome. She listened for movement, but only the sound of her own breathing broke the silent revere of the building. A small blinking red light caught her eye from a bank of computers on the far side of the wall and slowly she eased her slender body around the debris of the room picking her way through the piles of furniture until she stood by a control bank, with a display panel flashing slightly on the main panel. She breathed heavily, her breasts heaving under her tight uniform and took a final glance around her as her moved closer to the panel, her face illuminated by the red light and her thoughts drifted back to the word that hung ominously over the desk. She could feel the blood coarse through her body and the pain in her hands swelled and throbbed under their constant use as she wiped away a layer of dust from the console. She peered closely at the panel and reached out for the keyboard, blowing the remaining layer of dust from the black keys.

“Who are you!” snapped a male voice from behind the shadows and Darby froze to the spot.

“It will be dark soon” commented Crane as he stared out of the window into the distance. The setting sun silhouetted him as it slowly faded from view in the distance over the edge of the canopy.

“Agreed” replied Aston not looking up as he sat in the centre of the floor, his legs crossed and his hands placed on his knees as he continued his silent mantra. The room was circular in design, and apart from a simple boarded window and the barred door, the room was bare from any other significant fixings. Large palm leaves lined the floor of the room and stretched across the entire surface, touching the timber lined walls.

“We can’t afford to wait any longer!” snapped Crane as he peered out of the window and into the open canopy, he could feel the frustration boil in his body.

“Be patient” insisted Aston as he closed his eyes, “you must have faith”

“Faith!” spat Crane, “where has your faith got you?” he snapped.

“It has gotten me here with you” stated Aston simply, “if we wait, then we will seek our own salvation”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” he stamped over the floor to the door and pressed his ear to the wooden frame and listened to the noises outside. “We cannot afford to stay here, with the darkness falling…who knows what’s in that forest”

“Please Captain” insisted Aston and smiled as he opened his eyes, “we cannot rush the inevitable” he patted the leaves by him, “now, come and sit as we await our redemption” Crane flushed with anger and with a final glance at the window, reluctantly settled into a sitting position by the Reverend.

Thoryn held his hand aloft as the children stood on the edge of the forest. “It is getting dark” he stated simply and looked back at the four younger children following in his wake, “we should take rest and shelter”

“But Thoryn, should we not continue” replied Seeka.

“No, the cold of the night will kill us, that is if the Flurries don’t get us first” he stood on an outcrop of rock and peered through the increasing darkness. “We shall make rest here for tonight, then press onward in the morning”

“I disagree” snapped Tomas, “if we are to find the place where fire and ice meet…”

“We are to rest!” interrupted Thoryn suddenly turning on the smaller boy and raising himself up to his full height, “the place shall be there tomorrow, but if we are not...” the threat hung in the air and the other children shuffled uncomfortably as the two boys stood staring at each other.

“How did you escape the village Thoryn?” asked Tomas diverting the tension.

“What?”

“I mean…all of the old ones were either taken or killed, and yet here you are” Tomas waved at the boy on the rock, “taking charge”

“Are you implying”

“Nothing Thoryn, just saying” Tomas turned and looked at the group, “we do not know how Thoryn escaped do we? If he did” he eyed the older boy suspiciously as he spoke.

“What do you mean?” asked Jacen.

“Quite convenient, that’s all I’m saying” commented Tomas as he leapt from the rocks.

“What about Beilal?” countered Thoryn nodding toward the youngest member of the group, “she was actually taken by the hunters”

“She was taken” agreed Tomas, “but has accounted for her escape, and we were together, were we not” he added looking around the small group, “except for Jai-sen, and well look at him”

“What you saying?” demanded Thoryn

“Nothing” smirked Tomas, “just that we have no idea how you escaped the village...that’s all” he added innocently before looking around the huddle of children. “We had better make shelter” he commanded, “Beilal and Seeka you stay and build the camp, Jai-sen, Thoryn and myself will go and find firewood and food” Taking control of the group, Tomas smiled and ducked into the shrub. As he disappeared from view Jai-sen watched as Thoryn clenched his fists before he too disappeared into the forest after the other boy. He hovered uncertainly for a moment, his parents had always told him that the forest was dangerous at night, but now here he was alone with four children he didn’t really know or trust and with a heavy sigh, he eased himself back into the forest, determined not to let his fears overcome his instinct.

“I said, who are you?” demanded the voice again. Darby stood frozen on the spot, her hand hovering over the computer keyboard not daring to turn around. “I will give you one final chance!” snapped the voice. The man sounded different to the others she had met so far on this planet, less primitive, more civilised…slowly she turned.

“I’m here to help” she whispered, raising her hands in the air before her and speaking with a soft tone she slowly turned to face her prosecutor while in her mind she silently cursed her misfortune, how had she let herself be caught so easily? The figure before her was slight in stature and young in appearance, barely in his twenties she reckoned. He stood in the middle of the room bathed in the diminishing light and dressed only in the smallest of cloth wrapped around his waist with a single strap hugging the contours of his toned torso and over his shoulder, His feet were covered with fur and animal skin she noted drily to herself and realised this was why she hadn’t heard his approach.

“I say again…who are you?” he demanded as he held aloft a long hunting spear, pointing it menacingly in her direction.

“Please” called Darby loudly, holding her hands before her in mock defence.

“Silence girl!” snapped the man, “do you want them to hear” Darby saw his glance to the window and realised that he was hiding in fear as much as she was.

“My name is Cadet Joanne Darby of the Earth rescue mission ship; Desire. I’ am part of a mission sent to this planet to assist the local populace”

“Thank Gonosz” sighed the man, lowering the spear, “the message got through”

“You sent the message?” gasped Darby incredulously.

“My father…” he glanced about the room, “please if you could, it is not safe here, the hunters will return and the box” he said looking at the blinking red light on the console, “is angry” he waved her forward toward him and she hesitated uncertain whether to follow this newcomer or stay and hide. “Please” he said again waving her nearer urgently. Against her better judgement, she nodded and walked across the floor to the young man, “I am Kiefah” he said and ducked into the shadows, “if you follow my father will explain everything” Darby glanced at the computer system and the words sprawled on the wall, then with a heavy heart she reluctantly followed the man through a small hole in the wall and into the heart of the building complex beyond.

A noise from the door disturbed Crane’s contemplation and he opened his eyes and stared as slowly the barrier was pushed open. He looked at Aston and saw the priest was still sat smiling at him with his eyes closed. “I won’t even ask how you knew” he laughed leaping to his feet, “and don’t you dare say its your faith”. A head of an elderly man peered into the darkening room at the two men and was followed by a wizened old body.

“Please” his words were weak and pathetic as he pushed his way into the make-shift cell and stood before the men. Crane considered the old man and decided that while he held no threat, he could see an element of uncertainty in his demeanour.

“Who are you?” demanded Crane as he moved close to the old man, towering above the slender frame of the man.

“Please, I mean you no harm” he stammered.

“Captain…” warned Aston as he moved between the two men, “please sit down” he said gently.

“Thank you” said the old man, “but I do not deserve kindness” he stated as he struggled onto the floor with the help of the priest.

“We all deserve some form of kindness” corrected Aston kindly.

The old man shook his head, “no, not everyone” he said, “My name is…or was Shuran. I was a teacher…someone who was trusted in my tribe, and I repaid them with my treachery. I betrayed my people for my life, and let loose a river of blood over my kindred. Now, I am repent in my solace. Please, I seek nothing but redemption and forgiveness, but not from my own kind” his eyes widened in despair, “the Lady Theye is mad and must be stopped. She wishes nothing more than control over the God; Gonosz and death over the land until her own people are absolute. We are lost…we are all lost. You are our only hope”

“Only problem is…we’re prisoners” interrupted Crane.

“No, the door is unbarred, the guard bribed with my personal wealth” he lowered his head, “I have nothing left” he admitted, “please leave with my sorrow”

Crane looked at the door and nodded at Aston as he cautiously moved to the frame and peered into the empty corridor beyond. “He’s right, it’s empty” he confirmed, “come on”

“Come with us” insisted Aston as he knelt by Shuran and held his hands.

Shuran shook his head, “no, I cannot. My body is tired and my soul is unclean. I seek my own salvation, but you must go” Aston nodded and stood, “but please…seek the old colony and find the Seeker, he holds the secrets”

“You know of the colony” snapped Crane, turning on Shuran. James waved him away and continue to stare into his eyes, searching for knowledge.

“The Seeker?” queried Aston.

“Come on!” urged Crane, returning to his vigil and glancing down the corridor.

“Yes, the Seeker, he will tell you what you need to know. Now please leave”

Aston stood and nodded at the old man, placing his hands together and lowered his head slightly, “may you find the forgiveness you seek” he said, then briskly turned to Crane, and peered into the corridor. “You heard?” he asked

“Yeah, I heard” confirmed Crane, “seems like we have a plan, but first let’s get out of here” Aston James nodded and together the two men carefully picked their way along the corridor until they stumbled across a hatch in the floor. “Keep lookout” ordered Crane as he bent down and moved the leaves which covered the hatch. His fingers curled around a heavy metal ring and with a quick glance at Aston he hauled the hatch up. A slight breeze rushed into the corridor and ran along the passage as the evening air invaded the building. “Down” commented Crane as he peered through the darkness into the forest below.

“Seems as good a way as any” commented Aston as Crane gripped a long vine which fastened to a hook on the underside of the building, then launched himself into the open air. Aston sat on the edge of the open hatchway with his legs swinging in the air and watched as Crane was swallowed by the forest below. He reached for a thick vine and then launched his own body into the open air…

“Father…father” commented Kiefah as they ducked beneath an overgrowing vine and into a confined rounded room in an adjacent building. The journey here had been slow and they had paused on several occasions as her new ‘friend’ had stopped and gazed about the darkness. She had saw nothing, but had come to trust his instinct and eventually they had entered this small building and picked their way through the invading jungle and moved down into a basement area away from the natural light of above. Darby could see banks of working computers blink and click around the room, the lights from the displays illuminating the walls and throwing twisted shadows up over the wall as electronic artificial lighting mixed with naked flame of the surrounding candles and torches. An old man was bent over a bank of computers and was examining a small display screen. From her position she could see the man had poor malnutrition and could see several of his bones pressed against his skin. Over his shoulder, Darby could see a row of numbers counting down, the green LED lighting glowing in the darkness ominously marching toward an inevitable...what?. The old man rose and smiled at the young man and threw his arms around him as he approached, then his smile faded as he noticed Darby for the first time.

“Sir” she said smiling and stepped forward her hand outstretched before her body. He looked at her and frowned, then turned back to the display. She looked over at Kiefah, who nodded his encouragement and again she stepped forward and spoke, “Sir” she began, “I am here to help you and your colony…” again the old man ignored her and continued to work, “my name is Cadet Joanne Darby of the Earth rescue ship Desire” She looked at Kiefah and shook her head.

“I am sorry” apologised Kiefah, “I should explain, my father is a bi-lingual linguist” he explained, “you must repeat your words twice for him to understand” he held up a hand to her and spoke to the old man, “father, this woman is from Earth, she has received your call. Father, this woman is from Earth, she has received your call” She smirked at his words as the old man turned and clapped his hands.

“Oh my, oh my” he exclaimed, “you came, you came”

Darby nodded and shook his hands as he gripped her excitedly, “Yes, yes” she confirmed glancing at Kiefah, “but why did you send for us?” she waited for an answer, then remembering the words of Kiefah she continued, “but why did you send for us?”

“Come…come” he urged and pulled her to the computer bank and indicated at the numbers on the screen. “You see? You see?” he asked and continued in frustration stabbing the screen with his scrawny finger and frowning as she shook her head. “I am the Seeker, I am the Seeker” he admitted and spoke into her eyes, “I keep the secrets of the past and look to the future…if we have a future” he said sadly, “I keep the secrets of the past and look to the future…if we have a future”

“I don’t understand” admitted Darby, “You will have to explain” she sighed and repeated the words, “I don’t understand, you will have to explain”

The Seeker pointed at the numbers, “We came here full of hope and lived in peace. We came here full of hope and lived in peace” he urged as his eyes fixed on the green numbers as they continued their relentless countdown, “then the world changed. Then the world changed”

Darby frowned, “how? How?”

“Everything changed, the old ways disappeared…were forgotten. We lost the knowledge. Our wise men told of stories that the planet was warming and the volcanoes became active…both fire and ice. Everything changed, the old ways disappeared…were forgotten. We lost the knowledge. Our wise men told of stories that the planet was warming and the volcanoes became active…both fire and ice” he pointed at the screen as he spoke, his finger jabbing at the glass. “The planet evolved, the plants grew faster and stronger, and as the planet evolved, the people devolved. The planet evolved, the plants grew faster and stronger, and as the planet evolved, the people devolved”

“I don’t understand” admitted Darby, “I don’t understand”

“We became primitive. We became primitive” admitted the Seeker, “Lady Theye and the people are the colonists. Lady Theye and the people are the colonists”

Darby looked toward the ceiling not quite believing what she was hearing, how could that tribe of savages be the colony she wondered, then looked at the numbers on the screen and pointed at the flashing green lights, “what about the countdown?” she asked, “what about the countdown”

The Seeker’s eyes followed her gaze and he lowered his head sadly, “when the numbers hit zero…when the numbers hit zero” he said as the light basked in the darkness of the room, “End of the world, end of the world”