Torchworld: Akha (3 page)

I surveyed the blurring landscape outside. We'd picked up speed now, gliding about 20m above the surface. I saw something brown flash past us and did a double take.

"Did you see that?"

Kharl looked out the windows. "See what?"

"That brown flash. What the hell was that?"

He cocked his head. "Didn't see it. Could be wildlife though?"

I frowned. "I've never seen anything out here though. Not even bugs, everything is dead except the flora."

"Hmm." Kharl's brows knit together. "Ego did mentioned something about them re-seeding the fauna population, but we hadn't done anything about it yet. It was a long ways off."

"Maybe it resurged by itself."

"That's possible, although it'd have to be unnaturally fast. No, I think someone else is helping without Ego knowing."

"Another Akha perhaps?"

He nodded and then shrugged. "There's no way of knowing until we have more info." Kharl pointed to an opening in the cliffs. "See that tiny strip of blue sparkling stuff? We're nearly at the coast!" He clapped his rough hands together. "I'm excited. We should go explore the beach."

"Why would we explore it? There's nothing useful there."

"Hah!" That's not why you go to the beach, darl. You go there to swim and lie in the sun and be lazy. To enjoy the view."

Narrowing my eyes at him, I contemplated the idea. "I supposed we can stop for a couple hours, it's not like we have anywhere to be."

We sped toward the cliffs, and Kharl flew us neatly through the narrow gap. The Mercury slowed down and settled on a rocky plateau. I pulled on my boots and opened the hatch, squinting in the bright sunlight. I raised a hand to shield my eyes. The Mercury had windows that adjusted to reduce glare, and so did my helmet's visor. I'd forgotten how bright it could be outside.

"Nice weather." Kharl leaped out of the craft and landed on a soft patch of sand. I followed him, picking my way through the hard crystalline pebbles around our landing site. They reflected the sunlight in rainbow colours, despite the deep obsidian colour. Kharl was standing at the tides edge, yanking his boots off. He threw them backward, narrowly missing my head.

"Hey! Watch it!"

He looked around, grinning. "I didn't expect you to be right behind me. You creep around like a cat."

I looked around and saw the black sand was sodden, and splattered a handful on his back before breaking into a sprint down the beach.

"Aah!" Kharl shook the wet sand off and whipped his head around to see where I'd gone. "You suck at relaxing, you know that? I'm trying to enjoy nature and you go throwin' mud at me."

I crouched on the ledge and mimicked his speech back at him. Kharl raised a brow and the held his hands up in defeat. "Alright, I'm coming up there. Ceasefire?"

I shrugged. It was nice up here, and I planned to lie in the sun awhile. I shuffled to the side and leaned against the warm rock. There was plenty of room on here for both of us. I thought about the day we picked Kharl up. Sitting up on that cliff, waiting for someone to pop their head out. Or in Kharl's case, his flaming butt. I turned to him and grinned. He had sat a foot away from me, and seeing my grin made him scoot back a bit.

"Truce, remember? Ceasefire agreement."

I giggled and kicked his leg. "I was thinking about the day you came out. With your ass on fire."

He sighed. "More funny for you than me."

"Oh come on, you'd laugh. Just imagine someone flying out the wall bum first, on fire, screeching like a pack of horny cats and you'll get the picture."

Kharl cringed and patted his butt. "It's a serious injury! I can't even flash people anymore without them recoiling in horror."

He barely kept a straight face. "You should pity me, Lilith." After that he snorted and started laughing.

I pursed my lips at him. "How do I know people weren't already recoiling in horror?"

He winked at me and started to climb off the platform. He hung off it, face peeking over the edge.

"Just you wait. Everyone will experience the glory of the goat butt."

I moved my foot to poke him with my boot but missed as he back-flipped off the rock and landed on the sand.

"Show off."

"Half my training was flipping around so we look really cool. Phoenix soldiers flip everywhere."

"Uh-huh." I ignored him and laid my head back and closed my eyes. May as well enjoy the sun while I can. Some vitamin D might improve my mood. A few hours must have passed as I dozed in the heat and awoke when a wave crashed into the rock and sprayed salty water on my face.

People must have loved coming here, before the Collapse. I'd seen the old clips of sunny beaches filled with families, swimming in the ocean and riding the waves on those big flat things. What were they called? Maybe Kharl would know.

"Kharl!"

He looked over his shoulder at me, from where he'd been crouched over a rock pool.

"Eh?"

"Come here."

Kharl made a dramatic show of getting to his feet and swaggering over. "Whaaaat?"

"You know about Pre-Collapse right?"

"What makes you think that?"

"Well, you're a second-gen and you're older than me."

He feigned offence, slapping a hand on his chest and gasping. "I'm not that bloody old! What's your point?"

I grinned and he started smirking.

"Seriously, what is it? I was in a deep conversation with some very interesting crustaceans. FYI, there's life out here."

"I was going to ask about something else, but never mind. There's living stuff out here? Show me!"

I jumped down in one smooth movement and took off across the beach to where Kharl had been investigating. He jogged after me, catching up to me as I slowed, perching on a rock above the pool. I peered into the water, looking for signs of movement.

"You won't see anything if you gallop up like a pack of horses. You scared them all back into their holes." Kharl crouched down carefully, avoiding any undue noise or movement. "You see these little divots in the sand? The crabs burrow down in there to hide. If you sit still long enough they'll come back out. Unless you literally scared them to death," he said, giving me a pointed look.

Sure enough, after a few minutes the sand began to wriggle and a few thumbnail sized crabs emerged. They were a creamy colour with a speckled blue washing across their backs. Kharl had slowly slid his hand into the water and let one crawl onto his palm. He lifted it out in an impressively gentle manner.

"Here," he said, holding his arm toward me. "Take him, it's too small to bite you."

"They bite?"

"Yeah, just a love bite. He won't be able to do much damage anyway."

I held the wet crab up to face height, and its knobbly eye stalks wiggled at me querulously. I guess that was the crab equivalent of "What might you be?"

I looked over the crab to Kharl, who was studying me closely. He straightened up at my eye contact.

"Do you think the Akha have been working on the wildlife without telling us?"

He chewed on his lip, hands on his hips and looked out at the ocean. "I have no idea."

"You must have heard or seen something."

"Anything I heard was in Akha, which I know precious little of."

"Absolutely nothing?"

Kharl shifted his weight on his feet. "The only stuff I heard, that I understood, was a couple of place names - Opalesk, and something about your Outsider base. Not sure about that last part, but my Akha is good enough to get the gist of conversations."

"They know where we- ah, Markin is?"

"We've known where you are for awhile. Ego Phoenix doesn't care though, she doesn't see you as a threat."

"Did you?"

"I wasn't sure, we didn't have enough information on what you were doing. Does it matter now?"

I paused briefly, setting the crab down. My hand brushed the water and dripped as I stood back up.

"I guess not."

Kharl wouldn't look at me directly, and tapped his leg. "Has he tried to contact you?"

"Of course. Saw me checking, didn't you?"

"It's a small ship and you make noises when you're annoyed."

"Well, I haven't answered. We should leave, the light is fading."

He nodded, and started back toward the Mercury. "Travelling at night may be better, anyway. We don't have far to go."

We both climbed back in and Kharl stripped off his shirt, laying it on the back of his seat. He sat down and began to bring the craft online. I looked down at my worn techskin and shifted awkwardly. It was stifling and threadbare, maybe I should change into something else.

"Don't look, I'm gonna get changed."

Kharl snorted and laughed. "Alright. If you say so."

I peeled off the suit and sighed in relief. After lying in the sun the techskin was damp and warm. I quickly wiped myself down with a wet cloth before pulling on some uniform pants and a light tank top. Kharl turned around as I slipped into the seat next to him.

"You look better out of armour. Comfortable."

I gave him a sidelong look and he grinned at the front window. His reflection grinned back at him and I groaned. Kharl cracked up laughing again.

"To my credit, I didn't turn around."

"Such a gentleman."

"Mmhmm. You drive, moron."

"Yes ma'am."

The entire sector was empty. I'd lost track of them within days. Lilith had crippled my communication systems before she left. I would have done the same. She learnt the skills to hide from me. Didn't mean I had to be pleased about it. Her departure had taken me by surprise, and as for Kharl? No doubt he'd encouraged her. Given that nothing around here worked now, I had plenty of time to read his detailed personnel file.

"Lying bastard." I choked down my coffee. Anger was a polite word for my reaction. Incandescent rage was more accurate.

Just a grunt, huh? The traitorous ass was way up there under a soft Phoenix wing. Ego's very own top lackey. Did he fall out of favour? Or a double agent? If Lilith was still here, she'd have him figured out in a second. At least, I thought she'd been smart enough to see a plant right in front of her face. This was her way of getting back at me, I'm sure of it. Ever since she was old enough to start scheming, she'd been trying to change me. How I ran things. She was just like Alere, after all. Taken in by those freakish aliens. Even if it took me decades, I'd find out what the hell they were planning. Nobody gives out a free lunch expecting nothing in return. I'll die chasing after this, I just know it. The cities see us as rebels an psychotics, but I know who the real underdog is.

Pacing around on the courtyard outside under the hot sun reminded me how much I missed cigarettes. The taste was amazing, sitting outside with some dark lager on the beach. They were hard enough to get before the Collapse, but afterwards it was damn near impossible. The one Replicon we had was in the Mercury Lilith absconded with. I could make some of the materials, but I had to scavenge the plant matter for it. I'd never found tobacco, but some of the other grasses were fine to smoke. Better than nothing. I watched the recruits across the yard, training. I'd made one of the old soldiers run the younger kids through some drills. I had rabble to work with. No techs anymore, now that Lilith was gone. Anything I couldn't repair would have to wait until I could drag her back here. I know she wouldn't be willing. But she lost my trust the moment she ran off with Kharl. I'd sent message after message, broadcast on all of the Mercury's known frequencies. She must have received at least one of them, which meant Lilith was ignoring me like a child. I ran tired fingers through my hair. It was rumpled and greasy from lack of sleep and showering. I suppose I had to take a break sometime. With one last look at the recruits, I trudged back to my bunker, my face tensed in a scowl. The door groaned and blasted dust in my face when it stuck halfway.

"Fuck!"

I kicked the door and only got a dull thud and sharp pain in my foot. Great, now we're both broken. All hail the king of scrap metal army, fear my obsolete tech! I squeezed my body through the gap and wrenched the door shut. I'd figure out something else later. Sitting on the tattered sofa inside, was a young female. One of the long time Outsiders, I recall. Orphan. Parents died getting her out. Mother died inside. Father didn't survive the drone run.

I narrowed my eyes at her. "What are you doing here?"

Jane straightened her posture. She'd been lying on the sofa, draped like a cat over the length. "Thought you could use some company."

I picked up a tablet from the table, avoiding her eager gaze. "Do I seem lonely to you, Outsider?"

She frowned and stood up in front of me. "Lonely and angry, since Psycho left."

The rage built so fast I was too late to stop my hand cracking across Jane's face like a whip. She fell to the floor while I growled, rubbing my throbbing hand.

"Don't call her that."

"You make a fucked up pair, you know that?" she replied, rubbing her cheek. A scarlet hand print and a thin red trickle started to appear on her lip. Jane got to her feet and walked to the door. "She's fucking psycho, I don't know what you saw in her."

"Get out. Go buzz around some other unlucky bastard."

Jane dusted herself off and pulled at the door. She glared at the metal for a moment before turning around.

"It's stuck."

My jaw clenched. Of all the times for this to happen. I walked up behind her and she flinched when I reached around her body to force the door open. Her hair smelled like soap, and faintly like the ever-present dust around here. Jane slipped through the doorway, smoothing down her hair and licking the blood off her swollen lip.

"You gonna come out of your cave anytime soon? People are talking." She had her hands on her hips, chin jutting defiantly. What is it with the women around here?

I sighed. "Eventually. I've been busy."

"Busy feeling sorry for yourself."

My whole body tensed. "I'm sorry you feel that way. I'll talk to the group when I'm ready."

Jane raised her eyebrows and turned on booted heel before jogging back to the warehouse. She seemed annoyed. Maybe I should have apologized. Lilith would have told me to. I never saw the point in apologies though. Regret is a wasted emotion. She was softer though, but not many saw it. A long time ago, another woman left me for the same reason.