The Fifth Civilization: A Novel (28 page)

Red lights began flashing. It wasn’t an alarm on the ship;
the lights in the cargo bay were on a separate circuit. These were the lights
that warned that the overhead compartment was about to open, and anyone better
be cleared out of the bay because they were about to be sucked into space.

Kel was opening the bay door so they could escape.

Kel!

Roan scrambled to find his com. It was somewhere, but he
realized he had probably dropped it, or left it in his quarters. He was cut off
from the bridge.

Moira motioned to the Sikh, and he reluctantly closed the
gull-wing doors.

“No!” Roan screamed.

Moira closed her eyes and shook her head.

“What are you doing? We have to wait!”

David placed a wing on Roan.

The Bauxens were too far away to get on, and they were
likely going out into the vacuum of space. At least they were too drunk to feel
anything. Joseph had run around the fat aliens, but it was too late for him,
too. The red lights stopped, and everything began to float: Bauxens, cargo
containers, anything that wasn’t tied down. Roan got a glimpse outside the
cockpit window and saw that the bay doors were opening, and that Kel had
rotated the ship upside-down so the bay was facing the planet. It was going to
be a straight shot to the nightside of the Planet below.

“I’m sorry, Nick,” David said. Roan shrugged off the Nyden’s
arm. He said nothing as the shuttle shot out of the cargo bay.

***

“As the Emperor Yunyek said upon unifying Kotara, ‘Life is
made up of killing blows.’ And now, here it is.”

Grinek saw the derelict ship’s orientation had reversed and
it was causing a firestorm in the atmosphere. The death strike had to be
launched quickly, and Grinek had to do so with a flourish. He pressed his
finger down on the button and watched on the big viewscreen as two of the
Hanyek
’s missiles blazed out of their
banks and rocketed straight for the ship. In two seconds, they both rocketed
through the several thousand clicks between ships.

One missile struck the rear engines, the other a segment
just to the front of the vessel. There were two fiery bursts, and Grinek let
out a wide smile, knowing full well that this was the end. Barely a second
passed, and then the
Colobus
imploded
on itself, the bright impact of the missiles instantly puffed out by the cold
vacuum of space. The ship ignited and was torn apart, and what was once whole
suddenly turned into a million jagged pieces, colliding into the atmosphere and
burning.

***

All on the shuttle lurched forward as their craft was hit by
the shockwave of the explosion. Outside the cockpit windows, bits of the
Colobus
flew past and incinerated
themselves in the atmosphere in front of them. Alarm lights flashed in the
cockpit, flame and sparks outside, and
tap-tap-tapping
as the remnants of the
Colobus
slammed into the rear of the shuttle. Combined with the stench of alcohol and
the body odor of Duvurn, the sensory overload was too much.

Roan made the mistake of looking out the window. They were
through the atmosphere now, in the gravity of the planet, and descending
through the clouds. Moira and Sundar were rapidly working to stabilize the
ship, but Roan had no idea if they were crashing or simply going to make a hard
landing. They sliced through some clouds, moisture collecting on the windshield.
Below them unfolded a hilly and forested terrain, shrouded in darkness.

Roan vomited.

***

The bridge erupted with joy. Cheers and commendations and the
stomping of the right foot that indicated success. Grinek lifted himself out of
his seat and roared mightily, a roar that would no doubt be heard throughout
the
Hanyek
. With the help of
interstellar communication, he was going to make it heard all the way to
Kotara.

The weapons officer still appeared on-edge, but it was
probably only a residual feeling from having to watch his Commander use his
equipment. Grinek clasped him on the shoulder and stared deep into the man’s
eyes. He showed fear, but Grinek only found this humorous.

“Don’t worry, you have done well!” Grinek let out another
cry. The weapons crewman gritted his teeth and began trembling, fearful of what
was to come next. But Grinek only pressed even firmer on the man’s shoulder. “I
will remember to tell Kotara about you, and about how well your weapons systems
worked. A promotion is coming your way, specialist!”
 
Grinek would have used the officer’s
name, but he didn’t remember it, so he let go of him and faced the bridge.

“A promotion for all of you, in fact!” And the bridge crew
gave out another cheer, thankful that they had survived and no doubt glad to
have escaped Grinek’s wrath. The Commander moved back in his seat and sat down,
planting himself once again as the firm regent of the
Hanyek
.

“Prepare to send a message to Kotara! I want to gloat.”
 
A crewman immediately went about
following the order. Grinek eyed the viewscreen, watching the debris of the
Earth freighter burn up in the atmosphere above the nightside of the planet.
Whoever was down there was certainly getting a lightshow.

“And make preparations for landing. We have some exploring
to do.”

While waiting for the Chiefs to convene—they had to be
roused from sleep or brought back from their hunts—Two Mountains
witnessed another spectacular sight in the sky. He was certain that this time
others saw it, too.

He paced impatiently in the Consultation Clearing and basked
in its roaring fire until the Four Chiefs arrived. They were as indignant as
their scrunched faces and sunken eyes allowed. There was Violet Sky, whose body
was covered in dark blue hair; Falling River, who was tall and thin and always
wore the skin of a sea warbler; Jumps At Dawn, who was short and fat but whose
memory was considered the best; and finally the Elder Mother, Talks With the
Wind, who was quiet but generally considered the wisest.

A log served as their stool. It was customary for the Chiefs
to sit while the one who requested the meeting stood before them. Each sat
according to age—Violet Sky on the left to Talks With the Wind on the
right—and they briefly chatted amongst themselves before addressing Two
Mountains, conversing in voices so low the warrior could not hear.

Finally, finished with their greetings, all turned to Two
Mountains. Talks With the Wind was the first to speak.

“Two Mountains, it has been a while since we saw you before
us. Is all well with your family?”

“Yes, Elder Mother, all is well.”

Falling River crossed his arms. “Your child? Is he well?”

“
She
, my Friend,”
Jumps at Dawn corrected. “Two Mountains has a
daughter
.”

“Oh. Please forgive me, Two Mountains.”

“No offense given,” Two Mountains said. He didn’t much care
for Falling River anyway, the man having been his tutor in his youth and one
who believed in strictness as a lifestyle. Two Mountains remembered the
climbing lessons he was given when he was very young, when he’d tried to scale
a rock face and the rope broke, causing him to fall on his back. Falling River
berated him in front of the other pupils for not checking the tautness and
called him “Falling Mountain” for days. Such things stuck with you.

“Very good,” Violet Sky said. “Now that we know you are
well, what issue have you brought before us today? What is so urgent that we
must converse so early?”

“Indeed, I was having a good dream,” Jumps at Dawn muttered.

Falling River revealed his fangs with a grin. “Did your old
mistress visit you in it again?”

Violet Sky put his hand between the two to silence them.
They complied. “Please, my Friends. This young hunter has come before us. Let’s
listen to what he has to say.”
 
The
man pulled out a stalk of the
qiba
leaf from his trousers and placed it in his mouth. As he chewed, the toxin
inside would give him a mild high and allow him to concentrate. Unlimited
qiba
was one of the perks of being a
Chief.

“My Chiefs,” Two Mountains began, “In the past hour I have
witnessed unusual events in the sky. Perhaps you have noticed it as well.
Earlier this night I was hunting
duexi
at the edge of my enclosure and I noticed a burst of light above us. I thought
it was an ember from my fire or a star, but then I saw that a star had formed
from this burst of light and was moving across the sky. I followed it with my
eyes until it disappeared from the horizon, near the Irefol Range.”

“Interesting,” Violet Sky said. “But this was not the only
thing you saw, was it?”

“No, My Chief. Not ten instants ago, as I was waiting for
this meeting to convene, I noticed something even more extraordinary in the
sky. Instead of one light, there were two, and green streaks of light burst
from the first to the second. The second dot of light then disappeared in a
bright red flash, and I saw a light like a meteor fall just beyond the two
mountains.”

There were murmurs among the chiefs, save for Talks With the
Wind, who was gnashing on her own
qiba
.
Evidently, this was news of great significance.

“Are you sure you did not simply see a meteor?” Falling
River said. “We can’t be too alarmist in times like this. If you did indeed see
a meteor, then there is nothing to worry about, because God has simply sent
down another child to be born in a nation far away.”

“No, My Chief, it was not a meteor, and it was definitely
not a comet or anything I have seen before. This whole event was new to my
eyes. In fact, if I hadn’t known any better, I might’ve said it looked like two
stars fighting.”

“Two stars fighting!” Jumps at Dawn cried. “Preposterous, Two
Mountains. The stars are not alive. They are simply the lights of God, meant to
aid us during our awakeness period.”

“I know what I saw, My Chief. I am simply reporting to you
what happened, and ask that you interpret it.”

More murmuring and discussion. Falling River and Jumps at
Dawn were smiling and quietly conversing, while Violet Sky had his hand to his
chin, lost in thought. Two Mountains believed that the two in the middle had
made up their minds and were ready to dismiss the story, so it all hedged on
the two Chiefs at the end. Knowing the proper protocol, Two Mountains stood
firm, his hands clasped in front of him, feeling the warmth of the fire. May
their decision be quick.

“This could be an omen,” Violet Sky said. “We know the sky
shows us omens, and it predicted the earthshake last winter as well as the
drought three summers ago. A prophecy as unique as this one, though, should
cause us concern. It is so different from what is normal that it defies
immediate interpretation.”

Falling River laughed. “My friend, please, why do you
persist in such matters? We have never seen anything like this before, and so
why would God choose to reveal himself to a hunter, and not a Chief like
ourselves? Sense is not being made. If I recall, Two Mountains, you have been
rather lax with gathering food?”

“My Chief, I was out hunting when I saw the heavenly
display! Surely that must account for something.”

“Perhaps. Or you could be trying to make excuses for your
lack of prowess in the woods, and conjuring up stories to encourage suspicion!”

Jumps at Dawn let out a small howl and shushed his
colleague. “Easy, my Friend. We must talk to the encampment and see if any
others saw what he saw as well. Therefore, we can determine if he’s telling the
truth or not.”

Two Mountains was beginning to feel desperate, wondering if
the Chiefs were all not conspiring against him. What had he done
wrong—sure, he was lax in hunting, but many were! The animals were moving
away as the settlements expanded, and that wasn’t his fault. Perhaps what he
did see was an error in his eyes, a trick being played on his mind. A visit to
the herbalist would be appropriate—

“He is telling the truth.”
 
It was Talks With the Wind. Slowly and
carefully, the Elder Mother spat out the remains of the
qiba
and stared distantly into the fire. Shadows waved across his
face.

“How can you be sure?” Falling River asked. “Did you see it
yourself?

“Yes. Right before this meeting convened, I was studying the
sky, as I always do when the moonlight is low. The incident happened in the
Constellation Yavenway. I did not see all of what Two Mountains described, I
only noticed the bright red flash. However, I do remember a burst of green out
of the corner of my eye, and I did see one light moving across the sky.
Another, brighter light did indeed come to ground, and it came down beyond the
double peaks. Perhaps it landed in the Sun Valley.”

“My Friend, you could have said something before!” Jumps at
Dawn chided.

“I needed to hear the boy out. And, of course, determine in
which direction you were prepared to put him on trial.”
 
As she said this, Talks With the Wind grinned
at her friends, and there was a twinkle in her eye as he addressed the middle
two chiefs. Shamed, they put their hands together and heads down, while Violet
Sky watched this unfold with fascination. “Now, Two Mountains, while it is not
necessary, would you like to give your interpretation of the events?”

“M-My interpretation, Elder Mother?”

“Yes. I am interested to hear.”

Two Mountains cleared his throat. Rarely was a commoner
asked to give his interpretation to the Chiefs, especially not to Talks With
the Wind, whose word was usually as solid as a boulder. “Elder Mother, I do not
presume to know the way of the Sky, but if the stars are the lights of God, and
a light coming to Earth means the birth of a child, then this could mean a star
has been sent from Heaven down to Earth. I have heard many stories over the
years. As I’m sure you are aware, the elders of the Iso Iso Nation spoke of a
Messenger of God coming down to visit in the time of their ancestors, and I
believe it is possible that has happened again.”

“Ah, very nice, Two Mountains, but you are only putting one
and one together. That is, you are going off what you know of our beliefs about
the stars, and then reaching a logical conclusion. But what if what we know is
wrong? What if our conception of the stars is not the truth? Go back to what
you said about the two stars fighting. What might that mean?”

“Well, Elder Mother, perhaps—though I don’t claim to know
this—the stars are not the lights, as we have thought, but individual
persons. Ancestors, or perhaps workers or soldiers of God. Maybe what we have
seen is the beginning of a war among them, perhaps like that of the moon and
the half-moon. One was slain by the lightning of another, and then fell to the
ground—if indeed he
fell
to the
ground.”

“You have an active imagination,” Falling River said.

“Yet he and Talks With the Wind saw it, not us,” Violet Sky
reminded. “Two Mountains knows best, and he is simply interpreting.”

“Indeed,” Talks With the Wind said. “Two Mountains, it is
clear to me that what you have seen requires further study. I think on this
occasion it would be best to ask around and see if what Two Mountains witnessed
was seen by anyone else. Perhaps others noticed more than he. Later this night,
we will convene a settlement meeting and discuss this. Then we might need to
decide whether or not to try and find what landed in the Sun Valley.”

“I most definitely agree,” Violet Sky chipped in. The two
middle Chiefs nodded in approval and batted their whiskers, a sign of approval.
Despite one’s personal opinions, Two Mountains knew that in the circle of
Chiefs it was always best to appear with a unified voice. It was an egalitarian
leadership, but Talks With the Wind was the closest that circle had to being a
leader.

“If there is nothing further, Two Mountains, then I suggest
you go back to your hunt.”
 
Another
twinkle, one to rival the stars, glinted in Talks With the Wind’s eyes.

“Yes, Elder Mother, but before I do, I was wondering if you
had your own beliefs about what you and I witnessed.”

The chief put another
qiba
stalk back in her mouth, gnashed it, then closed her eyes in contemplation. “In
this matter, my guess is as good as yours. Further study is assuredly
needed—nothing like this has ever occurred. But I thank you for your
input.”

“You are most welcome, Elder Mother. And peace to you all.”
 
With a wave of their hands, they
dismissed the young hunter. Two Mountains bowed and stepped outside the circle
as the murmuring and conversation again began with the old men. Pride overtook
him for bringing such an important matter to the Chiefs, and he was honored to
have witnessed such an event as the one in the sky. He hoped that the omen
indeed predicted a positive event to take place—he was still young, and
had plans to be a mighty hunter. In a few minutes he would be home, and Snowy
Island would be heartened to hear of the meeting.