Chapter 12
TWELVE
Tai
It’s nightfall by the time the Oo’rahim colony comes into view. I could have easily passed the small sandstone dome if the visor hadn’t already shown me what to look for before I harvested its parts.
My legs are weak from running nonstop for the last few hours, but the run cleared my mind. I focus on my objectives: caution, expediency, and if they’ve got Bri—extraction.
I approach with my hands out so any potential guards can see I’m not a threat. My blaster is safely tucked away, out of sight, under my pant leg. Just because I don't see any guards doesn’t mean they aren’t here.
My boot lands on something metal and I freeze. It could be a number of things. This is when the visor would have come in handy. My mind goes straight to “land mine” and the possibility of losing another limb to Sabaak.
I take a slow breath and consider my options.
I crouch down and feel around. Barely under the surface, a flat metal plate connects to a wire. I gently tug the wire, and it pops out of the dirt, leading directly to the dome.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” a voice echoes through the canyon.
Not wanting to make any movements that could make the situation worse, I slowly rise to my full height. The Oo’rahims’ scrawny, diminutive stature makes me an imposing figure. Any sudden movement could be mistaken for a threat, and right now I need to de-escalate and take control.
“I don’t want any trouble.” My eyes dart across the canyon walls. I’m not sure what I’m walking into, but I know Bri well enough to know that if she’s down there and being kept against her will, things are not going well for them.
“How did you find us?” the voice asks.
In these situations, it’s best to give as little information as possible. Especially with the Oo’rahim. They might appear harmless, but the stories of their violent religious tendencies are widely known.
“I crash-landed here a few days ago. I only need some food and water, and I’ll be on my way.”
What I actually need is to get down there and see if they are holding Bri hostage—and it’s a lot easier to walk in than to try and break in.
“Any movement will mean your immediate death.” Heavy metal scrapes through dirt, ratcheting up the suspense.
A short figure, about as high as my chest, in a brown robe emerges from the dome. A bell hanging from their belt dings with every step.
“Who are you?” they ask.
A shaking hand raises a blaster and points it directly at me.
“Just someone unlucky enough to crash here.”
These are critical seconds, so I chose my words carefully. I need to know what is happening underground before I start running my mouth.
“Are you here with the others?” he asks, not moving the blaster away from me.
“No, just me,” I clarify.
What others? Bri?
My pulse races. I don’t respond well to weapons being pointed at me. He’s either going to lower it, or I’ll lower it for him.
As he closes in, he lowers the blaster, yanks my pack off, and wrenches my arms behind my back. Metal cuffs snap tight around my wrists, and when I strain against them, sharp electricity shoots up both arms. He pats down my body, hesitating on the blaster at my ankle.
So much for taking control.
“No weapons,” he says and pulls it from my boot.
It was a long shot, but I was hoping he wouldn’t find it.
“You’ve got a blaster. It’s only fair for me to have one as well.”
“Go.” He pushes me toward the small structure covering the entry to the colony and I lurch, trying to keep my foot in place.
“What are we going to do about this?” I say and nod down at my foot.
“Nothing. It’s an alarm,” he says with a grotesque smile and shoves me again. I follow without protest, down into the underground colony. I’ve got to hunch over to fit through the small door and follow my captor down the stairs.
My ear twitches. He’s lucky I’m restrained because I might have “helped” him down the stairs for that little laugh he had at my expense.
Orb lights dot the walls, guiding our way down into the darkness.
The old tech is a holdover from a distant past, when a ball of tightly packed filaments was the only other option apart from an open flame.
The temperature cools with every step. It’s a welcome break from the punishing sun, but I won’t be relieved until I know Bri is okay.
“This isn’t necessary. I’m happy to cooperate,” I say.
“Protocol.”
I can tell from his one-word answer I’m not going to be able to talk my way out of this.
We reach the bottom of the long staircase, and I look around the open space.
The ceiling is raised over the intersection of tunnels and stairs.
I step toward the main area, but the guy nudges me to the left to another staircase leading down.
This one is dark, not a single orb lighting the way.
Walking down stairs with a pushy Oo’rahim at my back is quickly becoming one of my least favorite things.
“Is there someone I can talk to?” I ask, trying to delay going down there.
“Eventually.”
He says even less than I do. Aro loves to accuse me of being the surliest motherfucker out there. I can’t wait to tell him I found someone worse than me. Hey, we can’t all be Aros—with his endless energy and pathological optimism.
The farther down we go, the cooler it gets. I don’t mind the temperature, but I’m not getting a good feeling about where he’s leading me. A long, dark and narrow tunnel leads to a single light on the wall next to a smooth metal door.
This is a dungeon, if I’ve ever seen one.
With a shove, I’m in a small, unlit cell. I mark the Oo’rahim’s face into my memory. If it comes down to a shoot-out, I’m aiming for him first.
“What brings you to Sabaak?” a voice from the corner of the cell asks. This one has a long beard and eyebrows that go down his robes.
“I told your friend here—”
“Brethren,” he barks, sharply interrupting me.
Oh yeah, that’s what they call each other. Another odd detail of their ideology.
“I told your brethren already, I crashed here.”
He narrows his eyes. “How did you find us?”
“I guess I just got lucky.” I shrug.
“That’s impossible. No one can get past the Halo—”
The bearded Oo’rahim silences the other with a raised hand. He flinches, clearly intimidated.
It all starts to make sense. Somehow, they got their hands on a Halo, a powerful shield that prevents incoming and outgoing electrical pulses.
A Halo is capable of bringing down small aircraft, like lifepods, and even blocking signals for rescue.
The invisible barrier is impossible to detect, and difficult to come by.
They are used by people who don’t want to be found.
“Whatever you’ve got going on here is none of my business,” I say, trying to put them at ease.
“How do we know that you aren’t here to steal away the Golden One?” he asks.
“Shut up, you imbecile!" The bearded one raises his hand again. This time, it comes down hard across the face of the Oo’rahim who asked the question.
“Not here for your gold. I just need some food and water, and I’ll be on my way.”
“Yes, you will be leaving shortly.”
The way he says it sends a shiver down my spine. There is something about the look in his cold, dead eyes that makes me think I won’t be walking out of here. He’s got something closer to a body bag in mind for me.
“Good. We are on the same page,” I say, faking agreement.
“Page?” the bearded one asks.
“It means we agree.”
The Oo’rahim close the cell door behind them. On their way out of the dungeon, I hear muffled voices.
“Keep him away from her until we know what he’s doing here.”
He said her.
Bingo. Bri is here. I fucking knew it.