Fractured Earth Saga 1: Apocalypse Orphan Page 9

  “So MBR has power and a signal you can’t explain? I want to know what’s going on there, but we’ll save that for later. There’s a castle east of here—use our deployed satellites to scout it for me. And let me know if you detect large movements of people anywhere on the planet. I don’t want to be caught in the middle of a local war.”

  “As you wish, Commander. Is there anything else you require?”

  “No, Syn. Wake me at first light.”

  “I will. Good night, Commander.”

  “Good night, Syn.” Wolf smiled at how real the computer sounded. Its AI component had been programmed to simulate a realistic human voice, and he found himself talking to Syn as he would a human companion. He dropped off to sleep, thinking about what lay ahead of him.

  Chapter 7

  “Commander, it is time to awaken.” Syn’s voice sounded from the computer strapped to Wolf’s wrist.

  Wolf opened his eyes and yawned. He looked out at the blue sky, amazed at how clear it was. “Syn, is there any pollution at all on this planet?”

  “No, Commander, I detect none whatsoever.”

  “What’s the weather outlook for the next week?”

  “My scans indicate Earth’s rotation has changed, and its axis is tilted nearly parallel to its orbital plane. The planet is rotating on its side, in other words, and this unusual orientation causes extreme, seasonal weather variations. Earth’s orbital path also has changed, and it is now just eighty-three million miles from the sun, placing it closer to Venus. Every three hundred and ninety days, Venus approaches within fifteen million miles of the planet. Analyzing the movement of geologic fault lines, I detect vast undersea disturbances that coincide with the orbit of Venus.”

  “Let me guess…Venus will pass by soon and we’re in for really bad weather?”

  “Travel will be difficult, Commander. I advise you to return to the ship and go to orbit until the storms have passed.”

  “Is there any evidence of destruction on this part of the planet?” Wolf asked.

  “Yes. Doppler radar shows supercell thunderstorms forming, and tectonic instability in the oceans will trigger earthquakes and tsunamis. The area where you are should be relatively safe, but it will experience severe weather, hurricane-force wind storms, and major flooding.”

  “Who are you talking to?” a child’s voice inquired. Wolf glanced up and saw Reon standing in the doorway, his curious eyes searching for another person.

  “Blackout silence, Syn,” Wolf whispered. Looking at the boy, he asked, “What?”

  “I heard a lady in here with you. Where is she hiding?” Reon asked.

  “You’re mistaken. I was singing,” Wolf answered.

  “My mother often sings, but you sound like a girl when you try. I came to get you. The food is ready.”

  “Tell your mother I’ll be there in a few minutes. I want to wash up.”

  “Yes, sir, I’ll tell her,” Reon said, skipping off to follow Wolf’s directions.

  “Syn, online discussion,” Wolf said in a low voice.

  “Go ahead, Commander.”

  “Run a continuous proximity scan on me at all times. Try not to speak unless we’re alone. Only break the silence in the event of extreme danger or if I tell you to communicate.”

  “As you wish, Commander.”

  Wolf went to the creek and dropped to his haunches. As he splashed water in his face and rinsed his mouth, he was startled by the sound of twigs snapping behind him. He turned and saw Leesa gazing at him with a lusty glimmer in her eyes. He thought about his unwanted visitor the night before and smiled at the girl. She returned his smile and ran back to the house. Wolf followed, bending as he passed through the doorway to avoid banging his head. He sat in the same chair as he had the night before and said, “Good morning, friends. Again, I want to thank you for dinner last night and breakfast this morning.”

  “We welcome you to stay as long as you like,” Haakon responded, taking his own seat.

  Breakfast included some sort of bacon, unusual red eggs larger than the hen eggs Wolf remembered, and a citrus juice. He consumed what three men would typically eat and delighted Nala with compliments on her cooking. She was blushing by the time breakfast was done.

  “Sir, we should get to hunting before it’s too late,” Trulane suggested.

  “Give me a few minutes to digest this food,” Wolf replied. He turned to Haakon and asked, “How is the weather this time of the year?”

  The man looked troubled as he said, “Soon, the Brown Star will appear and the weather will become very harsh. We have a cellar we will enter until the storms pass. It will rain heavily, and God’s finger will touch the ground, causing much damage.”

  “God’s finger? What is that?” Wolf asked.

  “A terrible windstorm that sucks up everything in its path. It has the shape of an upside down horn and can destroy one homestead but leave another untouched. It can slam a man to the ground, killing him, or pick him up and place him down unhurt on the other side of the valley. The storms last for several days when the Brown Star appears, lighting the sky even at night,” Haakon explained with fear in his eyes.

  “I see. So it’s very windy, trees are uprooted, and you get heavy rains,” Wolf said.

  “Yes. We know it’s coming when the Brown Star appears. The storms will come a day or two after the tax collector leaves. You should stay with us until the storms pass,” Haakon said.

  “I must see to my boat. Come, Trulane, let us go hunting. I wish to repay your family for their hospitality.”

  Outside the dwelling, Wolf asked, “Which way do we go?”

  “We will hunt by the big oaks to the west,” Trulane answered. “There are several large dintar dens in the area, and a dire lion. They have been ravaging the homesteads around here for years. Several children have been killed or mauled in the last few weeks. I have been tracking them, and I may have found their lair.”

  “You are brave to hunt them alone, my young friend. Why do you risk your life?” Wolf asked as they crossed into the edge of the forest.

  “The dintars killed my younger sister three years ago. I will destroy them if it’s the last thing I do,” Trulane vowed, a single tear running down his cheek. Haakon’s oldest son was a strikingly handsome young man. He stood about five foot three inches tall. Lean and muscular, he had a round face with fine features, full lips, and intelligent gray eyes.

  “Let us destroy these beasts in their lair! Together we may be able to do this. Lead on!” Wolf said, feeling a sense of pride for the young man. He had hunted mountain lions as a boy, and he knew how much courage it took to face a dangerous predator.

  They headed west for over an hour. Trulane acquainted Wolf with the local plant life and explained what various items were called. He told Wolf of the dire lion and the beast’s fierce roar. He said the lion was larger than the dintar and far more aggressive. The only predator it feared was the sky killer, which Trulane said was as long as their barn and could swallow a man as quickly as a man eats a grape. The predator’s jaws are lined by large, sharp teeth; its skin is armored and snake-like, and it spits paralyzing venom.

  “This world has changed a lot,” Wolf observed, shaking his head.

  “Quiet now, sir…we are close to the dintar’s lair,” Trulane cautioned in low voice. He dropped to his hands and knees. Wolf followed suit, and they crawled towards an opening in a large hill. The charnel stench that wafted from the opening nearly made them gag. Two large dintars emerged from the cave. They were bigger than the one Wolf had slain earlier. They sniffed the air; fortunately, Wolf and Trulane were downwind from the beasts.

  Trulane was armed with a spear about five feet long, tipped with a leaf-shaped blade of primitive iron. In a single, fluid motion, he rose and threw the spear at the larger dintar, striking it behind its front leg. The beast howled in pain and rage, then wrenched the blade from its side with its teeth. Two massive dintars lumbered out of the lair to investigate the commotion. They
spied Wolf and Trulane, and charged at their position. Trulane turned and yelled, “Run!”

  Wolf stood his ground and pulled out his MA1 laser pistol, shooting the closest dintar between the eyes. The creature dropped in its tracks and died instantly. Wolf fired again, hitting the other dintar in the chest, and it dropped lifeless to the ground. He fired at the smaller dintar that was sniffing at the beast Trulane had wounded earlier with his spear, and then he fired at the wounded dintar, killing them both. The smell of burned flesh and ozone permeated the air, mixing with the stench of excrement in the cave.

  Trulane clamped his hands to his ears, trying to muffle the laser pistol’s electric whine. He stared at the gun. His eyes moved to the slain dintars, astonished, and then he gazed at Wolf and asked, “What is that?”

  “Trulane, this is a very dangerous thing I have shown you,” Wolf said, slipping the laser pistol back into its charging holster. “It is a weapon from my land that has killed millions. I am sorry you saw me use it. I ask you not to mention this to anyone. Come, let us decide what we will do with the meat we have. We can’t carry all of these beasts back to your home.”

  “For helping me kill the dintars, I will keep my silence,” Trulane promised. “I would love to bring these home to my family…the four pelts and meat would make us rich.” He gazed with regret at the wealth they would have to leave.

  “I guess we could make a sled to drag them back to your father’s farm. It’s just a few miles,” Wolf said.

  “We have at least eight hundred pounds of flesh here. We would need several carts to haul that!” Trulane laughed.

  “Watch, my friend, and I will show you my plan.” Wolf unsheathed his Bowie knife and chopped through two saplings about four inches thick. The soft wood cut easily, and he stripped off the thin branches. He then cut down several vines and lashed smaller sticks across the two longer ones, making an eight-foot sled. He dragged the largest dintar onto the sled without effort. Trulane’s eyes widened as Wolf grabbed another dintar, and then another, piling them onto the sled. He had reached down to grab the last dintar’s hind leg when he heard a whispered warning from Syn in his ear.

  “Commander, look out!”

  Seconds later, Wolf was struck from behind. When he recovered his balance and looked around, he saw Trulane climbing a tree, screaming for him to run. Then he saw what struck him—it was larger than a grizzly bear from ancient Earth, and it had a lion-like head and mane with the body of an ape. Its thumb and little finger had razor-sharp claws. The creature, which he would later learn was a dire lion, had jumped on his back and was biting him, mauling at his head, and trying to disembowel him with its powerful talons. Wolf was astonished that despite the ferocious attack, he was not scratched, although his shirt was ripped to shreds.

  Reaching up, Wolf grabbed the dire lion by the throat, eliciting a surprised squawk. Then, he closed his hand, only meaning to stop the animal from biting him. He heard a crack, and it went limp in his hand. As he pulled the dire lion off his back, he caught a glimpse of its teeth and dropped it to the ground in front of him. He rubbed his head where the beast had been mauling him and poked around where his clothes had been shredded, but he was not injured.

  Trulane climbed down from the tree and stared at the lion in amazement. Then he stared at Wolf and backed away until his path was blocked by the tree behind him. With a terrified look in his eyes, he asked in a hoarse whisper, “What are you?”

  Chapter 8

  Wolf looked down at the enormous animal he had killed and answered in a bewildered tone, “I don’t understand this. I don’t know what’s going on. Something has happened to me that I cannot explain.”

  Trulane stared at Wolf with fear and awe. After a long silence, he said, “A legend has been told for many generations throughout the lands. Long ago, we had one moon in the sky, and the blue moon was not there. Then a blazing star came from the heavens and the world was made anew. According to the legend, a traveler will come from the sky in a flying chariot that talks but has no tongue. He will be a giant among men. He will be immortal, and no blade, poison, or claw will mark his skin. Men will follow the traveler as he leads our people to victory over all the kingdoms. When the world is under his dominion, he will lead a chosen few to the stars.”

  Wolf responded, “That’s a fascinating myth, but I am not that man. Look…” He pulled out his Bowie knife and sliced it across his hand to show that he could bleed. Gazing at his hand in stunned silence, he saw no blood, no cut, not even a scratch. He jabbed the knife into the palm of his hand, but it deflected harmlessly and left no mark.

  “I…I don’t believe it,” Wolf stammered. “What has happened to me?”

  Trulane’s face broke into a broad smile. “You are the Spirit Warrior of the legend!” he exclaimed. “You have come at last to lead our people to freedom and victory.”

  “No, I am just a man. Please say nothing about this to anyone,” Wolf pleaded. “I know you are excited, but trust me. This can’t get out until I have time to adjust. Promise me, Trulane, as my new friend.” Wolf had a strange, sinking feeling that gave him a chill, and his whole body shuddered.

  “I will keep the secret for a while, but I can’t keep it forever. Jonar will attack us soon, and you must fight. I will be silent until that time. Do you know that the dire lion is even rarer than the dintar? My family is wealthy beyond all others to find the Warrior of Legend and have the greatest hunt ever—all in one day!”

  “Let’s load up these beasts and drag them to the house,” Wolf said, picking up the last dintar and tossing it onto the pile. Then he lifted the dire lion and dropped its enormous bulk on the sled.

  Trulane looked at the contraption and frowned. “It is impossible; that is too much weight. Let us take one or two beasts home and return with a cart to…” Trulane's voice trailed off as Wolf lifted the sled with ease. He had positioned himself between the two poles of the sled and reached down, grasping the handles. He stood up, lifting the front of the sled off the ground, and walked forward, dragging the enormous weight with ease.

  “Come on, Trulane. You are rich now—you should be content with that. Besides, we’re still alive!” Wolf said with a chuckle.

  As they walked along in silence, Wolf noticed Trulane gazing at him with hero worship, and he admonished, “Stop that, Trulane!”

  “What am I doing?” the young man asked with a confused frown.

  “Staring at me like I’m about to grow angel’s wings and fly,” Wolf snapped, but he checked his attitude and said, “I’m sorry, Trulane. This is getting to me. Yesterday, I was just an ordinary man, and today, I am this…thing.”

  “You are magnificent,” the young man replied. “You are the answer to our prayers over many generations. Just ridding the valley of the beasts you killed today is a feat that will be told again and again for generations to come.”

  They resumed walking towards Haakon’s homestead in silence. Wolf pondered what could have changed his cellular makeup to endow him with such strength and superhuman powers. His curiosity was running wild, and he wanted to get back to his ship and run tests. He wasn’t sure what tests to run, but he had several ideas. He wanted to talk to Syn.

  “When we get to the house, I will help you clean these animals, and then I need to leave for a while,” Wolf said, breaking the awkward silence.

  “Will you return?” Trulane asked, looking heartbroken.

  “Yes. I need to check my boat. I give you my word…I will only be gone a few days.”

  As they emerged from the woods, Wolf saw Haakon talking to a group of men dressed in suits of armor similar to those worn by King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. The men were about five feet tall and held pikes. Their armor was burnished to glistening silver. Haakon pointed at Wolf and Trulane, and the men turned. Several uttered profanities as they beheld the giant dragging the carcasses of the slain beasts.

  Wolf saw Haakon gesturing with his hands, talking fast, and motioning in his directio
n. The knights relaxed as Haakon spoke but eyed Wolf with suspicion as he approached. The man in charge was older, dressed in tights, and he wore a tricorn on his head. He extended his hand to Wolf and said, “Hello, stranger. I am Onel, the tax collector. I am very pleased to meet you.”

  Wolf lowered the sled and shook Onel’s hand carefully so as not to break it. His hand covered the smaller man's hand to the wrist.

  “I am pleased to make your acquaintance. Haakon has told me of your kingdom and the troubles that beset your land. We have hunted today and returned with much meat. Will you and your men stay for supper?” He glanced at Haakon, adding, “Of course, it is Haakon’s decision.”

  Haakon smiled broadly and said, “I would be honored if you and your men would eat with us, Onel. Please, make yourselves at home here.”

  Onel nodded. “We will camp for the night so I can talk to this stranger. To do so is the king’s business.” He said to Wolf, “I like the timber of your voice and the inflection you put on your words. It is refreshing to hear our language in another tongue—and seeing the beasts you have slain is enough to win an audience with our king. I want to hear the story of this heroic deed. From the look of your garments, it appears these beasts injured you. I am also a qualified leech. I will tend any wounds you have while you regale us with your tales.” Onel turned to one of his men and said, “Take your detail and set up camp behind the barn. We will dine with these loyal citizens tonight.”

  Haakon was ecstatic. To have the tax collector stay overnight at one’s home was an honor. He called out with excitement, “Nala, Leesa, Brithee! Bring barley beer to quench our thirst and prepare to roast a whole dintar. We will turn it on spits outside. We will invite the community to this feast. Reon, run over to the neighbors and invite them. Tell the priest at the chapel. Let them know they may bring anyone they wish. We will cook two dintars for this feast to honor our new friend. Run, boy!”

  Reon darted off to do his father’s bidding as Wolf held up a hand to protest.

  “Haakon, I have no desire to elevate myself above others. Your son killed a beast single-handed with his spear. He should be acclaimed too. I only wanted to help you by hunting, and I hoped to offset some of the expense I have caused you.”