Fan Fiction ❯ Fission ❯ Desert Wilds ( Chapter 8 )

Chapter 7: Desert Wilds

Wolfen gave out a loud yawn as he slowly awoke. Rubbing his eyes, he sat up on the hard ground and searched about him. To his dread, he found he was still on Gevangenis. Not that he had expected otherwise; he wasn't one to deny what was right in front of him, and he was starting to grow accustomed to the bleak look. He suddenly came to notice a strange smell, and at first he couldn't figure out where it was coming from. Then it occurred to him that he was the source of the foul odor. He grimaced, feeling very dirty and wishing he could take a shower.

"So you're finally awake?" He turned about and saw that the young woman, Amaroris, was already up. She looked down at him with her arms crossed, looking in every way the same as she had the day before. He hadn't noticed it before, but she smelled badly too. He stood up and brushed himself off a bit, then realized the futility in this and stopped.

"What do you mean, finally awake?" He asked her, looking up at the sky. He couldn't remember how dark it was when he fell asleep, and the shift in light was so small that he didn't know if he would have been able to tell if it was morning, anyways.

"You've been asleep for ten hours!" she stated as if this was a terrible sin. She threw him a small pack that he had learned earlier was a form of food-ration. "I would have woke you up, but I realized that you're probably really tired what with all that's happened to you." During the past day, Wolfen had spent the time telling her about how he and the others had come upon Gevangenis. Amaroris had asked several questions about Earth, and his job, and the people of Earth. It seemed she hadn't stopped probing him for details until nightfall, at which point they both set themselves down in the dry black dirt and slept.

"Ten hours is just right." He stated, stretching. He pulled open the pack and ate the strange meat inside. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't good either. "I only got eight on the Explorer. Feels good to have slept what I consider the proper amount of time."

Amaroris shook her head like a mother lecturing a child. "We've only got five hours of light left, Mr. Fallion…"

"Wolfen." He had been trying to get her to call him by his first name ever since they started this little walk, yet she seemed to think a man from Earth required respectful titles. She started to speak again, looking annoyed at his interruption, but he felt he needed to interrupt her again. Something she had just said bothered him. "How can we only have five hours left? We should have at least ten."

Amaroris stared at him as if he had just said the sky had fallen. "What are you talking about?" She asked, "There's no way we would have more than eight hours. It's just not possible."

Wolfen stood there confused for a moment, wondering what she meant. Then a thought occurred to him. "How many hours are in your day?"

She gave him a look like that was the stupidest question she had ever heard. "How did you ever learn to fly an aircraft?" She shook her head. "There's nineteen hours in a day. What did you expect?" Wolfen gazed up at the sky for a moment, his face brightened by understanding. "Of course!" He cried as if it should have been obvious all along, "You've got shorter days! Different planet, Wolfen. Think." He playfully knocked himself on the head, as if something were broken in it and that was the best cure. Amaroris only stared at him blankly.

Seeing her confusion, he gave her back the empty pack and explained, "This is a different planet from Earth; it has only nineteen hours in a day. Earth has twenty-four hours!"

As if this concept was completely unheard-of for her, Amaroris's face remained confused. "B - But, there's no way." She muttered, "The Lord Fission tells us that the legendary Earth had nineteen days, just like our world!"

"Fission?" Wolfen started to ask, but he was interrupted by a strange sound that made them both jump. It was a deep call that rose in tone as it went on, then suddenly went back down as it ended, and Wolfen had the strange image of a wolf crossed with a moose in his head. He scanned around yet saw nothing in the vast emptiness of the desert. Confused, he turned to Amaroris and saw, to his astonishment, that she looked horrified.

"We have to move on, now." She whispered, and immediately turned in what, to Wolfen, appeared to be a random direction. Her pace was hurried. Wolfen followed behind, not knowing what else to do.

"What was that sound?" He asked as he caught back up with her. "And slow down, we can't go on for long at this pace!"

"Hush!" She whispered at him, looking about as if in fear that something was watching them. "Don't talk too loud or it'll sense you." He didn't have the slightest idea what was going on, and on further inspection he still saw nothing at all in the black desert. Still he spoke in a whisper, if only to get answers more quickly. "Fine, I'll whisper." He told her impatiently, "Now what was that sound?"

She glanced at him with fear in her eyes and then looked back where she was going. "That was the sound of a Storm Boar. It's a giant beast that roams the desert. If it senses us it'll come after us, and then you'll never see your beloved captain or your friends ever again."

"And how, exactly, would it sense us? I can't even see the thing, and if it's as large as you say I'd think we would by now." He looked around again, wondering if his eyes had fallen prey to some desert illusion.

"It has special sensors on its feet." Amaroris explained without looking at him, "If you talk too loud it'll sense the sound waves in the ground. We shouldn't even be whispering, so be quiet!" As if to emphasize this point, the sound came again, it's strange call seeming eerie in the barren landscape.

Wolfen decided it was best not to pursue the matter; better to keep quiet and learn later than talk now and die. Still, he had to wonder about how, if it was as big as she claimed it was, this Storm Boar could survive in such a harsh environment. What would it eat? He let these thoughts occupy his time as they walked, speculating on this new world. Only nineteen hours? How did they get enough sleep? What else was different in Gevangenis's calendar? And what about this Lord Fission?

Wolfen thought back, suddenly recalling that the turban-men who had nearly captured him had mentioned a 'Lord.' Where they referring to the same man? Who was this Fission, anyway? Amaroris said he taught them that Earth had nineteen months, suggesting he was a teacher of some sort. But then, he was called Lord Fission. Maybe teachers were considered an upper class on this planet? Then surely this Fission character was an important figure, or maybe just very wealthy. He glanced at Amaroris, noticed how dirty she was, and suspected that she was probably from a very low class of citizen. The thought made him feel sympathetic for a moment.

Suddenly something struck Wolfen as being very strange; Amaroris behaved like a very responsible person, and at times displayed an air of authority. So why was she looking like she was, in clothes that were the wrong size and covered in dirt? Perhaps she wasn't lower class, but was actually some sort of hands-on person? Maybe she was some kind of archeologist; it would certainly explain why she was so dirty, at the very least. He realized he had no clue what it was she actually did for a living, unless she was unemployed. That seemed unlikely to him, though; she appeared to have the qualities sought after in a worker. Maybe she was some sort of criminal, then?

Wolfen's thought faded as he realized he was alone. Pausing in surprise, he turned about to see Amaroris staring past him in perplexity. "Is that what you're looking for?" She asked, pointing into the distance behind him. He turned and saw, far in the distance, an object. He squinted, trying to make it out, but with the dark overcast of clouds the object was simply too far away to make out. He felt a sense of hope, however, and started to run towards it as fast as his legs could carry him.

It was closer than he thought. Before long he could see the object clearly; a white, perfect orb that seemed to have smashed into the ground. The rock where it had landed had been sent flying, and large chunks of the black, dry material lay in an ellipse around the orb. It was the escape pod.

Wolfen reached the pod and stopped, panting. He stared up at it, surprised to see a large red symbol painted onto the side of the pod. It was a pair of acute triangles interconnected like a chain, with two great red dots to either side. The symbol puzzled him for a moment, but he put it out of his mind and circled the pod.

"Captain Obakeumi!" He shouted, reaching the hatch. The door had opened to the left, which meant the entire pod had landed in a sideways position, the thrusters that propelled it hanging from the side like a sore thumb. Wolfen climbed up into the pod, but found nothing except an empty chair. In his worry he failed to notice that the rations and water were gone, or that there was an open medical kit on the seat of the chair. He leaped back down and called for the captain some more, circling the pod and looking in every direction. She was nowhere.

His hopes vanquished, Wolfen slumped against the pod and closed his eyes. He felt horrid. Dios was right; in the end the pod had nothing of value. They never should have left the ship. All he knew now was that the Captain was out in that vast desert somewhere. Perhaps she was already dying of starvation or dehydration. It all seemed so hopeless now.

Amaroris stepped up to the pod and stared sadly at the symbol. "I'm sorry, Mr. Fallion." She stated with a shake of her head. "This is the symbol of the Wolke Augen; they beat us to your captain."

Wolfen turned to her slowly, stepped over to her side, and looked up at the symbol. As if by magic, his despair died away and was replaced by anger. When he spoke, it was in a vicious tone. "Who are they?"

Amaroris gave him a worried look, but apparently thought it would be easier to just tell him. "They are a secret policing force that serve Lord Fission with absolute loyalty. Under the command of their leader, the Hrunting, they seek out and eliminate any opposition. When something unexpected happens, they're the first on the scene. If you cross Lord fission, you cross the Wolke Augen." She shuddered visibly. "And if you cross the Wolke Augen, the only way you'll ever be seen alive again is if they use you as an example. They're efficient, knowledgeable, and cruel."

Wolfen stared at the hateful symbol, letting his anger boil. So they were a policing force for a tyrant. He turned to her. "What would these… people… want with me and my friends?"

Amaroris shook her head hopelessly. "Like I said, the Wolke Augen are always the first to investigate. What if you're a threat to Lord Fission? They'd find out, and they'd kill you."

Wolfen considered this for a moment, wondering at what methods they would use to 'find out' if he was a threat. The idea only fueled his steadily growing hatred. He said pointedly, "I wasn't a threat. But I am now."

Amaroris gave him a horrified look. "You're insane! Look at that." She pointed at the symbol. "That's blood. Human blood! You don't fight the Wolke Augen, they catch you and wipe you out of existence!"

"You fought them!" Wolfen shouted, stepping closer, "I would probably be dead or worse if you hadn't. You're still alive, aren't you!?"

"T-that…" Amaroris stuttered, fear in her eyes, "W-we shouldn't have h-helped you. It was suicide!" She looked down at herself, her eyes wide in amazement as she looked at her hands. "I can't believe any of us survived it. We're civilians, they're well trained and disciplined warriors. More than that, they're the Wolke Augen. I should be dead!"

"But you're not." Wolfen pointed out, turning to glare at the symbol. "They're not invincible. I'll prove that."

"You try, and you're dead…" Amaroris whispered. The very idea of fighting the Wolke Augen had her trembling with fear. Wolfen saw this and was amazed. If she was so paralyzed with fear over these people, why had she helped him and the others? Why was he alive when she seemed so terrified to even consider the idea now?

Wolfen opened his mouth to ask these pertinent questions, but his words died in his mouth as the strange, eerie call they had heard before passed their ears. It was louder this time. Almost as one, the two jerked their heads and gazed out into the black desert. Far in the distance Wolfen could see something, an object moving. The call came again, and Amaroris let out an angry curse. She grabbed Wolfen and whispered in his ear: "It's the boar. Hide!"

They ran around to the other side of the Escape Pod and waited quietly, their ears listening carefully for the Storm Boar's call to sound again. There was a long pause, and then suddenly the sound came again. It was louder than ever. Amaroris's face became fearful, and she slowly peeked around the corner of the Pod. She made a squeaking sound and jerked back, her face white. "Goddammit, the thing's headed straight toward us. It must have heard us talking."

Wolfen decided to brave a look. As he peeked around the Pod, he saw that the creature was, for certain, larger than it had been a few seconds ago, though it hadn't gained much ground. He still couldn't see it clearly. He stepped back and looked at Amaroris. "Any chance we can outrun that thing?" She shook her head. He looked around, then came up with a new idea. "Could we hide inside the Escape Pod?"

She hesitated and glanced up at the Pod. She touched it, then risked tapping the metal casing. The sound made her wince. Finally, she shook her head. "I've seen one break through much stronger material."

Wolfen threw up his hands angrily. "Well we have to do something!" Amaroris punched him in the ribs. "Shut up, shut up…" Wolfen coughed; the woman had a hard punch. As he recovered from the hit, Amaroris looked around the pod once again and watched the creature's approach. She waited for a moment, and then her face gained a new look, as if she had just recalled something. She turned back to Wolfen and stood close to him.

"There's a canyon not far from here." She whispered in his ear, "If we hurry, we might be able to make it."

Wolfen glanced around, but saw nothing to suggest there was a canyon anywhere near their location. Yet when he looked at her he saw hope in her face. He glanced out into the desert again. "And if we don't make it?"

"We're lunch." She told him flatly, yet her face became determined. At that look, Wolfen knew that there was at least a chance. He nodded. Amaroris turned and started running from the escape pod and into view of the Storm boar. Wolfen wondered briefly at the overall sanity of this action, but hesitated only a second before charging after her.

The two didn't get far before a new sound was heard; not the long wolf-moose call from before but a loud roar. They had been spotted. Wolfen didn't look back. He kept his eyes on Amaroris's back and kept his mind on keeping his feet moving. Yet the roar came again, closer this time, and he couldn't stop himself from looking back. The creature was still unrecognizable in the distance, yet it was definitely coming towards them.

They ran. And ran. And ran. Wolfen began to wonder just how far they would have to run to reach this canyon. Everything looked the same in this place… was Amaroris certain about where she was going? There was a loud, crashing noise behind, and Wolfen looked over his shoulder. To his amazement and horror he saw the escape pod flying into a million pieces, obliterated by the might of the Storm Boar. It was so much closer, yet still it was unrecognizable.

"Don't look back!" Amaroris shouted in front of him. He looked forward, running like a madman. He felt sweat on his brow; dry air was sucked into his lungs. Yet over his own breathing, a new sound could be heard: a distant cracking noise like lightning. The sound got louder and louder, filling his head as he ran. Crack, crackitycrack, crack, crackitycrack. The beast let out another roar, and this one was so loud Wolfen instinctively covered his ears from the sound.

He couldn't resist; he looked back. What he saw was the largest creature he had ever laid eyes on. It was a giant beast, at least thrice the size of an elephant. It was covered in thick grey skin, and had a short neck covered in a dirty brown mane. Its head was long and rounded; there was no nose on the creature. It had five black, horizontally slitted eyes. Its mouth was a monstrosity, shaped like a cross with a double row of teeth all over the inside; that part reminded Wolfen of a worm. Horns adorned the body; one curved downwards just below the eyes, and pairs of horns guarded the back like a long line of troops marching side-by-side. It had three long, powerful legs - two hind legs and a single, broader front leg - all with hoofed feet. With every step came the loud, lightning-like clap that filled their ears. Yet the most prominent thing Wolfen noticed was that it was catching up to them… fast.

Wolfen turned his eyes away from the beast in horror. Adrenaline pumping, he forced himself to run faster. Sweat poured from his body, yet the giant beast was getting closer. "There's the canyon!" Amaroris cried hopefully. Wolfen brought his attention to the land in front of them, trying as best he could to ignore the lightning-steps of the boar at their backs. Sure enough, he could see far in the distance that the ground came to an abrupt end.

"We can make it!" He started to scream, for it indeed seemed possible, yet his voice was drowned out by another deafening roar. Wolfen's ears stung at the noise, it was so loud… the beast was so close! The cracking steps seemed right behind them. Wolfen's legs ached like they had been running for years.

He told himself to run. To run like his life depended on it, because it did. The cracking steps filled his ears, closer, closer. The canyon was clearly there; it seemed so far away! He looked back and regretted it; he could see the beast's eyes, mad with hunger. Its demonic mouth opened wide in a box-shape and emitted another deafening roar, and Wolfen could clearly see the sharp teeth.

He wanted to scream, for never had he been so terrified. No mission amounted to this; nothing in his training had prepared him for such a monstrosity. He cast his eyes away and realized he was shouting, no, screaming at Amaroris to run, run, run and never stop! His legs begged for the pain to end, his chest was like acid, yet he knew he couldn't stop. By now all that was keeping him going was fear, the need to get away from that thing. The steps got closer; clack clackity clack clackity clack clackity clack…

Then, with the mind-rending sound just behind them, with a feeling of steamy, stinking breath on their necks, they were there! Wolfen had only an instant to ponder what would happen to him if the drop was nothing but a sheer cliff, then he and Amaroris were in the air.

For a moment he were falling, the dry wind whipping his face, then he landed with a painful thud against hard ground. There was an angry, mind-bending bellow of rage and defeat from the Storm Boar; his meal had eluded him. Wolfen, his entire body in pain from the fall and the chase, still managed to turn himself onto his back to look up. He saw five angry eyes, some twenty feet up, glaring down at him behind gnashing teeth. For all the creature's size, its small neck just couldn't reach that far down. Yet Wolfen couldn't help but wonder what kept it from coming down, itself; if they could survive the fall, surely it could too.

Wolfen, the fear still controlling him, tremblingly looked about himself. He pressed a hand behind him and felt air. He jerked about and was surprised to see another cliff; he had landed on a small outcropping, not five feet wide. The sheer canyon wall sloped down below. Wolfen stared horrorstruck for a few seconds, then was brought to fearful awareness by the beast's roar…

He was alone.