Fire and Ice

“Sir” Darby spoke quietly to Crane as they walked back through the remnants of the old colony.

“Darby” he acknowledged, but refused to look at her, instead fixing his eyes on the figure leading the small party.

I had to leave Wheler behind” she started uncertainly, “when we escaped, he refused to come”

“That is not your fault Cadet” he whispered softly, leaning close to her, “this fellow” he added nodding ahead of them, “is he trustworthy?” Darby hadn’t considered the question until now, though after all of the time she had spent with him and his father.

“I believe so...”

“What is it?”

“Sir” she looked at the ground unsure how to broach to subject.

“Come on Cadet, tell me...that is an order”

“Its this place sir” said Darby waving around, “this is the old colony and from what the Seeker told me, the survivors in the trees are the descendants, but how can that be, I mean, surely that can’t be true can it?”

“It does seem highly unlikely” confirmed Crane, “I couldn’t even imagine them being related in any way”

“Devolution captain” breathed James and he pushed his way past the slowing crew-mates in order to catch the figure ahead.

“What does he mean?” asked Darby

“The priest has some crazy theory about the villagers being the direct descendants of the colony, but instead of a natural evolution on this planet, the effects in the change of rotational gravitational axis polarisation has caused the planet to reverse its natural cycle...or something like that anyway”

“Is that even possible?” asked Darby incredulously. Crane didn’t answer, simply shrugged his shoulders and continued further into the old colony.

The Seeker was bent over a computer console as the party pushed through the over-hanging curtain which covered the doorway. He straightened and smiled, clapping his hands as he rushed over top meet them. He grasped the Reverend’s hand with both of his and shook it heartily and vigorously, “you must be the captain, you must be the captain” he said enthusiastically, “I must say you are smaller than I imagined. I must say you are smaller than I imagined”

“Arr...well” smirked James as he accepted the old man’s greeting, “I’m afraid you are mistaken...that is the captain” he pointed over toward the larger man pushing his way through the curtain and stepping cautiously into the room, his eyes darting about the terminals as though he were a hunter searching for his prey.

The old man stood before James smiling and shrugged his shoulders, still shaking the holy man by the hand. “Excuse me” offered Darby stepping forward grinning, “excuse me”.

The Seeker turned to her and smiled, “this is the captain no, this is the captain no”

Darby shook her head and laughed, “no, no. This is Captain Crane of the Desire. This is Captain Crane of the Desire” she waved in the direction of Crane was was moving from one console to another, his eyes flicking over the reading’s on each screen.

“My apologises, my apologises” the Seeker bowed to the Reverend as he spoke and turned and rushed to the captain and grasped his hand and shook it vigorously.

“Why does he repeat everything?” asked James as he moved next to Darby.

“My father is a bi-lingual linguist” said Kiefah proudly, “he can understand any language spoken to him as long as it is said twice”. Kiefah moved close to his father and took him by the shoulders and moved him away from the shocked captain. “We have much to tell you” he said and smiled at his father, nodding.

“We have much to tell you, we have much to tell you” offered the old man, “for we are in great danger, for we are in great danger” he glanced out of the window as he spoke.

“From the hunters?” asked James to deaf ears.

“Again” urged Darby quietly nodding toward the old man.

“From the hunters?”

“No, not the hunters, from the gods, no, not the hunters, from the gods”

The Chamberlain eyed the growing creature before him in the centre of the throne room. He listened as the bones cracked and swelled beneath the animals thick muscles. “Is this wise my Lady?” he asked as its limbs extended and talons bit into the floor.

“They shall hunt our enemies Chamberlain” said Lady Theye confidently, “and kill them. Release the other Flurries and let them feed in the jungle. Be sure our people are warned Chamberlain...I would not wish any of our own to be hurt”

“Yes my Lady” the Chamberlain bowed low, his gown scraping the ground as he walked backwards to the door of the throne room, careful not to take his eyes off the expanding creature before him...

“Don’t be so ridiculous” scoffed Crane, “there are no gods!” he snapped following the old man’s gaze across the jungle from the confines of the main dome.

“Captain...”started Darby.

“I know, I know, but I will repeat myself to some crazy old fool!”

“I am sorry, I am sorry” apologised James, “please forgive our comrade, his mind is closed to other opportunities. Please forgive our comrade, his mind is closed to other opportunities” he lowered his head toward the Seeker as he spoke, “please if you could explain, please if you could explain”

The Seeker nodded, glancing toward the captain and waving him away, “certainly, certainly” he said crossing to the monitor displaying a set of figures, which were slowly counting downward. “You see, you see” he pointed toward the numbers, “the end of the world, the end of the world”

“Two days...” murmured James as he peered at the figures on the screen, “two days”

“Yes, yes, that’s right, that’s right. We have two dawns...then, we have two dawns...then!” the Seeker brought his hands together sharply and clapped loudly making Joanne Darby jump slightly as she gazed through the open hatchway.

“Captain” urged James, “look at this” he pointed at the monitor as Crane joined him at the console, “would you say this is a clock of sorts?” he said as the green numbers flashed on the screen, counting down slowly, second after second.

“Possibly” murmured Crane, his eyes scanning the monitor and his fingers working on the console.

“What did Sorenson say yesterday, three days...”

“Yes...” said Crane slowly, still fixed on the countdown, “but that was until the ship was overrun, this is completely different”

“Is it?” queried James, “what if the jungle and the countdown are all one, one big event all linked to this...” he indicated at the screen.

“If you are right, and I’m not saying for one moment you are, then tomorrow could be the last day this planet sees”

Engineer Claus Sorenson was considered by many in the academy as one of the best engineer’s in the fleet, so how was it he was stuck on a second rate world with a third rate starship, fixing a problem that couldn’t be fixed. He straightened from the turbines and scratched his head with the wrench in his hand. He sighed and rubbed his eyes, he needed air he thought and looked at the engines. They weren’t going anywhere soon, were they so may as well take a walk outside and clear his head. He strode down the metal skeleton of the ship and out into the open air. Born and raised in Copenhagen, he had followed in the footsteps of his father...and his father before him, but unlike them he had risen through the ranks until he had become chief engineer. He remembered all the pomp and circumstance of his promotion as the sun gently touched his face. “Penny for them” asked a brisk female voice. Sorenson jumped, he had not realised he had company.

He opened his eyes and turned in the direction of the voice, “Toshiko” he smiled as he spoke her name, “I did not hear you”

“Obviously” she smirked as she stepped from the ship and into the sunlight. “Still can’t get the engines going?” she asked teasingly.

“Damn!” he playfully cursed, “and here’s me thinking no one would find out” they both laughed, then stood in awkward silence. “Seriously” he finally said, “I’ve been working on them nearly all night and I still can’t get them free of those vines and powered up. Nothing I seem to try can shift them”

“Fresh eyes” offered Toshiko smiling as her hand brushed his. He felt a tingle in his loins and his face flushed a subtle red from her attention.

“Couldn’t hurt” he answered.

“Don’t sound too enthusiastic!” she laughed, “I am more qualified after all”

“Excuse me, but I passed the academy with a triple first!” he countered as she bounded into the ship.

“But I passed at the first attempt!” her voice trailed back from the ship as her body disappeared through the hatchway. It couldn’t hurt to get a fresh set of eyes on the issue he supposed and stabbed at a small communicator patch built into the strap of his wristband. “Carter” he spoke into the band, “join Toshiko in engineering...see if you two can get the turbines online, free as much of the engines as you can. Brody, report”

The female voice crackled into life over the communicator, “Brody here sir”

“Meet me in the cell bay, let’s get a look at that corpse” he closed his eyes and raised his head toward the sun as he contemplated, “may as well get a look at that cadaver while its quite” he said to himself, then rubbing his eyes entered the ship.

“Whoa! Whoa!” stammered Darby, “what do you mean, tomorrow could be the last day, what about this two dawns!”

“Today and tomorrow” said Crane simply, “two dawns”

“Please” offered Kiefah, “my father...” his words trailed off as the young man pointed in the direction of his father who had operated another set of screens.

“Come, come” he said waving the three toward the monitor. “Our history, our history” The three moved across the floor, Darby glancing toward the clock before settling on a make-shift seat before the monitor banks. Across the relay of screens, images played over the surface of the glass, each one projecting a different image. One showed massive eruptions, with lava and bellows of thick black clouds stretching high into the atmosphere, another showed a stream of thick ice flowing down the sides of another large mountain.

“Volcanoes” whispered James, more to himself as anyone else.

More images played across the screens of a civilisation within the colony, an image that they would have all recognised as a newly arrived colony ship, laden with hope and ambition, then more images, savagery and descent into anarchy, fighting and killing.

“What happened?” asked James looking at the Seeker for answers, he caught himself and repeated the question, “what happened?” The Seeker stood to his full height and looked over the small party, waving his hand before him with his fingers spread as wide as they could go. He nodded toward Kiefah and stood at the back of the room.

“My father shall impart the litany!” he called and sat back silently in his seat. The old man raised a long elaborate headdress made from feathers and leaves and placed it neatly on his head and took a deep breath.

“For the litany goes! For the litany goes!” he called, his voice carrying across the room. The trio sat for a moment silently waiting for the story, while the Seeker stood taking deep breaths composing himself.

“Well! Well!” snapped Crane impatiently.

“Many moons ago, we the people of the free arrives from the stars and all was as it should be. We were happy in knowledge that our path was safe. As our fore-bearers stood they paid homage to the great god; Gonosz and prayed for his blessing and for many moons we the people were safe as he smiled down on his children. Then the mountain Lords became unhappy, they challenged Gonosz and moved the earth to oppose him. We the children suffered as the Lords and our god fought for our love. We separated, tried to offer sanctuary to our children, but everywhere we travelled the lords would tare down our tribe and put us to the slaughter. As punishment to our defiance and devotion to Gonosz, they moved the earth and the seasons changed. The land and sky fought us, they moved the heavens and still Gonosz abandoned his children. Many moons and many dawns as the people turned as did the earth, we became as savage as the trees, as wild as the vine and still the Lords fought...and they still fight...” the Seeker paused and took another deep breath and spoke again, “Many moons ago, we the people of the free arrives from the stars and all was as it should be. We were happy in knowledge that our path was safe. As our fore-bearers stood they paid homage to the great god; Gonosz and prayed for his blessing and for many moons we the people were safe as he smiled down on his children. Then the mountain Lords became unhappy, they challenged Gonosz and moved the earth to oppose him. We the children suffered as the Lords and our god fought for our love. We separated, tried to offer sanctuary to our children, but everywhere we travelled the lords would tare down our tribe and put us to the slaughter. As punishment to our defiance and devotion to Gonosz, they moved the earth and the seasons changed. The land and sky fought us, they moved the heavens and still Gonosz abandoned his children. Many moons and many dawns as the people turned as did the earth, we became as savage as the trees, as wild as the vine and still the Lords fought...and they still fight...”

“That’s all very well” sighed Crane leaning into James, “but what does it all mean?”

“End of the world captain” said James shaking his head, “end of the world”

“Toshiko remain in radio contact at all times, I want to hear what’s happening down there, you understand”

“Yes” replied the wary voice, “you know, I do know what I’m doing”

“It’s not that and you know it!” snapped Sorenson as he sat at the small desk, “I just feel a bit...you know edgy”

“Now you’re being silly” teased the voice of Toshiko.

“Am I?”

“Yes!” she snapped then after a slight pause, “but alright” she conceded.

Sorenson looked about the holding area at the two metal cages at the far end of the bay. He sat at a small metal framed desk which was covered in papers and open books, marked with brisk red lines across the pages. Brody stood to attention by the wall, her eyes flicking from Sorenson to the figures inside the cells. Her body was thick set and powerful and her muscles were considerably larger that those of Sorenson. In a way, he was glad she was one of the survivors on this mission, Christ he thought, there wasn’t that many left! She stood in full military uniform, with her gun tightly between her hands at the front of her body and her eyes fidgeting over to the cages.

“Don’t worry Trooper, they’re good and dead” Sorenson said softly as he noticed her looking.

“It’s not that sir” she spoke with a thick South African accent as she replied to his comment.

“What is it then?”

“Those things sir, they were once us weren’t they. Is that what’s going to happen to us if we stay”

“Who knows” admitted Sorenson returning to the books laid before him, he spoke as he studied the pages, “but I’m hoping that I’ll soon find out” he raised a sharp scalpel into the air and let the ship’s light glint off it’s surface.

“Do you know what you’re doing?” asked Brody uncertainly.

“Not a clue” he admitted with a smile holding a book in the air with his other hand, “that’s why I’ve got these”

“Books”

“Not just book Trooper, medical journals from the good doctor there” it seemed ironic even to him that he would use the doctor’s own medical journal to examine him, but first he wanted to get a look at Lieutenant Nez...he had been the first. “Bring the body over to the table” he ordered pointing at the plain metal table they had dragged from the medical bay. Trooper Brody looked uncertainly into the cell, and hovered for a moment outside the locked cage.

“All operating systems are down” reported Carter as he scanned the diagnostic report on the portable scanner. The large yellow rectangular box sat close to a series of powerful looking engines and small coloured cables led from the system to transmission ports on the outer shell of the turbine. “Judging by these figures, we have full output to all systems, but operating figures are being drained away by a massive power outage” his fingers stabbed at a couple of buttons on the panel and his eyes moved to another reading, “carbine, combustion units, transmission points, drive systems are operating as standard” he looked up from the machine, “according to this, we have full power in all of our operating systems except the main drive units”

“Cause?” asked Toshiko, whose body at the moment was half emerged within the engine drive shaft.

“Indications all point to massive power drainage caused by a blockage to the main fuel valves”

“Effect”

“Outside interference”

“As we thought” agreed Toshiko, “the problem is the encroachment, not in the actual engines themselves. Seems like we are on clear-up duty Cadet” she laughed as she spoke, “better get the cutters out” she said as she pulled a large panel from the front of a long thick tube. She into the dark depths of the engine and spoke to Carter, waving her hand behind her, “pass me a torch” she ordered, her eyes peering through the inside of the column. Carter fumbled in the drawers at the front of the large unit and handed over a thin plastic tube. She flicked at the small button at the base of the torch and shone the light deep into the darkness and peered through the piercing beam of light. “Shit!” she cursed as she gazed through the narrow beam of light into the heart of the ship’s heart. Inside the small shaft of metal, vegetation from the forest wound its way through the cogs and pulley systems of the engine mount and core. She examined the creepers as they wrapped and strangled the coils and twisted their way through the maze of metal, choking the life out the systems as though they knew exactly what they were looking for. “Sorenson, we have a problem” her voice cut through the ship like a knife.

“What is it?” came the reply.

“You should see this...” she breathed softly.

“What is it?”

“The vines have got into the main drive shaft and have coiled their way through the thrust mechanisms and central manifold core of the turbine element”

“Diagnosis?”

“Its going to be hard, but I think we should have maximum thrust within the hour” said Toshiko, risking a sideways glance at Carter.

“Copy that” said the unseen voice of Sorenson across the airwaves, “I’m going to start the process here”. The communicator died as Toshiko flicked the switch on the device.

“You lied” said Carter softly staring at her through the shadows of the engine room. She nodded, “why?”

“Where there’s hope...” she whispered and returned to the engine, looking into the shaft.

“Is there any though...hope” She shrugged, but avoided his eye-line as she continued to stare through the thick vines which were wrapping their way through the internal systems of the ship. “Tosh!” snapped Carter.

“There’s always hope” she breathed softly straightening and began to pace back and forth rubbing her hands together. “If we run an impulse burst through the main centrefold, generate enough power to produce a back-blast, forge reverse drive and switch to external thrust then the power build-up could produce a significant force to burn out all vegetation from the systems, then we could reduce deficit in the ration dampeners and increase surge extremities in turbines and generate enough thrust to obtain minimal leverage and...” her hands raised above her head as she she forced a smile, “we lift”

“I caught none of that” admitted Carter, “but tell me what to do...” he couldn’t help but smile at her enthusiasm and optimism.

“I’ll begin the program” Toshiko said, “on my mark, pull that handle” she said pointing at the large double handed handle that sat on the side of the main turbine.

The body of Lieutenant Nez lay still on the metal table. His body was a bloodied mess of muscle and fur. Sorenson stood over the table with the small silver scalpel in his hand and looked across the carcass. The face and the body of his former colleague was unrecognisable from the person he once was, with scorch marks from blaster fire pitting his body and scarring the flesh.

“You sure about this?” asked Brody.

Sorenson shook his head, “not as much as I was” he admitted and paused over the body, waving the scalpel over the torso of the creature. “Here goes” he said half-reluctantly and plunged the knife into the body, just below the chin and deep into the throat. The creature screamed and convulsed under the sudden incursion, its body throwing its arms and legs in the air and a small plume of blood and air erupted from the puncture wound in its neck. Its eyes opened and a look of pure hatred crossed the orbs as the inky dark eyes locked onto Sorenson, who stood frozen in fear with the scalpel deep in the body of the creature, then it fell silent, head lolling to the side of its body. Sorenson felt the air escape from his own lungs as he breathed a deep sigh. He looked over toward the Trooper and nodded toward her.

Brody had her gun gripped tightly to her chest and took a step back away from the table. Sorenson could see her hands shaking, and the gun trembling in her grip as she continued to step backward until her body pressed hard against the bars of the steel cage.

“Its alright” he insisted, “its dead”

“It moved...it screamed” she said and raised her gun pointing it in the direction of the creature.

“Get a grip Trooper, its dead”

“Then what was that scream?”

Sorenson shook his head and dragged the scalpel slowly down the torso of the creature, gently breaking the thick muscle and revealing a deep groove down the animal’s chest. “Just a release of air trooper, nothing to worry about”

Brody shook her head and raised her gun to her eye-line, “one more movement” she promised, “and I’m going to see that thing fry!” Sorenson shook his head and continued his insertion of the cadaver. Brody watched intently, her body pressed as far away as she could possibly go. She could feel the pressure of the bars pushed against her body armour and the reassurance of the weapon in her hand as she watched the dissection of the creature, but still the growing sensation of fear gripped at her stomach.

The carcass of the doctor stirred in the cell slowly at first, moving gently and gingerly as the fingers twitched. He could feel nothing, just a gaping wound where...he couldn’t remember, but in his mouth he felt a hunger. His body had changed, that much he was aware of...his muscles were tense and strong and his hands were sharp, but it was the feeling in his stomach that gnawed at him the most. “Hungry...” he growled as his eyes fixed on the back of Trooper Brody through the bars of the cage. Slowly the bulk of flesh that had once been Doctor MacEuell rose from the bed and stalked silently across the cell...