Michael Siemsen - Exigency

Skinny had been walking slower for the last kilometer, apparently no longer concerned about pursuers.

Aether was done with submissive diplomacy. “Skinny, please stop for a moment.”

Skinny complied and faced her, eyes wide and clubs pressed together backward.

LIVETRANS: [Curious awaits].

“Here’s the thing,” Aether’s synth began. She’d spent the last few minutes revising her wording. “Us Orange People are pleased to have met Skinny and Seekapock. Everything you have shown us today has been interesting, and we’re sorry that Eeahso, Threck people, and any others were injured.” Skinny’s eyes hid at this. “But now is time for us to go. We have much to do and other Orange People waiting for us. We will certainly return to visit Eekareth in the future, if you will have us again as guests.”

Skinny was silent for a moment, but for the deep inhales and exhales through her siphons.

Finally, Skinny replied. “You will come for one more observe. You will follow.”

Aether had anticipated resistance. “No. I’m sorry once again. We do look forward to pleasure of seeing you again sometime.” She put out her hand to shake.

Skinny looked at the hand, then at Aether, then Qin. Her arm rose and pressed gently against Aether’s hand, cilia wrapping tenderly around fingers.

“Qin keep Eeahso alive. Eeahso wish to see Qin and Aether, and express new pleasure to replace old bad.” Skinny twisted half a turn and pointed through the vegetation ahead with her free arm to an apparent clearing. “We meet just there. Short time. Then Orange People go be and return sometime. Short time. Short time. After take you fastest way back to Eekareth and white egg.”

QIN: Now we’re talking.

Aether sighed, apologized to her protesting stomach, and hoped she wouldn’t soon regret her decision. “Yes. Let us.”

Skinny laughed and released Aether’s hand. “Now we must sneak!” She dropped to the ground and proceeded spread out on all-fours, creeping forward smooth and crab-like.

Aether and Qin took to their knees and strove to keep up.

“How are you doing?” Qin asked. “Physically.”

“Same. Need meds and food. And don’t worry. I set a timer for ten minutes. We’re heading back to the EV at that point, whatever happens up ahead.”

They reached the clearing a few moments later, and their location was instantly apparent. To the right, above the tops of tall, thin lichen trees, a clear view of Threck City’s soaring tower alit with multicolored torches. Skinny had led them along a gradually curving path around the city’s outer perimeter. Ahead lay the “Soccer Field”—another Tom designation. Several times a year, the Threck held sporting competitions in this place. Running, leaping, throwing, block stacking, feats of strength. It was like Threck Olympics.

So why had they circled round to the other side of the city?

“Wait, do you realize where we are?” Qin said, and Skinny threw up an arm.

LIVETRANS: Silence!

AETHER: Yes, though I’m not sure why. She said this was to briefly meet up with Eeahso and accept gratitude.

QIN: How would an injured Eeahso have even made it all the way over here ahead of us? There’s no way. I say we bail. We need to get those meds in you.

AETHER: And you. Seven more minutes on the clock. Like I said, we go either way.

QIN: You’re the boss.

Skinny reached the other side of the field first and, once more hidden by foliage, stood up and helped Aether and Qin to their feet. She stepped back and gestured.

LIVETRANS: Just here. Little farther.

Five more minutes were spent climbing to a rocky hill’s crest before edging a quarter of the way down to the other side, stopping on a small, natural balcony. Skinny crept to the edge, peered over the precipice, and then signaled for them to silently take up positions beside her. Frustrated, and with only a minute left on the timer, Aether slinked to the edge as she searched Livetrans for a way to specify a sign-only response. Qin crawled up beside her and peeked out over the ledge.

With no sign of Eeahso, or anyone else for that matter, Aether decided to stick to her guns and call it quits. She lowered her PA volume to a whisper and leaned the speaker close to Skinny.

“Eeahso not here. It is time. We are leaving.”

Skinny put up an arm—a sign that no longer required translation.

“Wait.”

“No, we will wait no longer, Skinny. We are leaving.” She reached behind her and tapped Qin on the back before shuffling backward.

“Aether!” Qin whispered. “Look! Is that Tom?”

Aether scrambled back to the edge and peeked out. Below them, beyond the rocky hill’s base and past perhaps 50m of wild vegetation, Aether saw a perfectly circular clearing surrounded by tiki-type torches and tall, planted epsequoias, like an arboreal Stonehenge. To the right of the clearing, a paved trail curved off toward the city. But closer, at the end of a separate, unlit path, Aether spotted an apparent observation post.

“Angela too!” Qin hushed. “The Threck have them!”

Indeed, the observation post—about half the distance between the tree circle and Aether’s position—contained several individuals, Tom and Angela among them. Among her friends stood three cloaked Threck, and all eyes appeared to be on the circle, including Tom’s and Angela’s.

Skinny tapped Aether’s arm and signed.

LIVETRANS: Any second.

“What’s any second?” Aether replied through the hushed PA. “What’s going to happen?”

Skinny edged close, placing one of her siphons right up to the visor opening in Aether’s helmet. Strange, sour air jetted out as Skinny whispered, “Like I say before. You see difference of Seekapock and Threck.”

Aether gazed down at Tom and Angela as she realized her alarm had been flashing in front of her all this time. She dismissed it, tension rising in her neck and forehead. Her stomach gurgled and reminded her that its rage had yet to be quelled.

“Look, there!” Qin breathed.

Aether shifted focus back to the circle of trees and saw a very young Threck slowly entering the lit area from the path. A second later, another Threck child appeared, then a third. Aether watched nervously as all three children went to the center of the ring, each picking up an object from the middle, then separated, spreading out toward the edges. The epsequoias obscured most of their view, but Aether caught fleeting glimpses whenever they crossed the space between trunks. After walking the full perimeter, the three reassembled at the edge of the clearing, opposite the entrance path, and lay down, stretching their appendages out like four-pointed stars. Tentacles overlapping each other’s, the children went still.

A small commotion in the observation post. The Threck around Tom and Angela grew excited, pointing toward the tree ring.

Beside Aether’s head, Skinny had begun absentmindedly tapping one club against the rock and, upon closer observation, the cilia were in an uproar, dancing wildly like a thousand arms above a concert crowd.

“What are those?” Qin whispered.

Aether glanced back to the children. “What?”

“Are you zoomed? If not, do.”

Aether closed her bio eye and zoomed right up to the three young Threck. It took a moment, but she spotted them. Slithering out from the bushes beyond the trees: three little worms, hardly visible in the mossy ground cover, like tiny snakes in high grass. Each moved on a direct course toward a Threck child.

Within a minute, the worms reached the children and disappeared beneath them, presumably to their mouths. And then nothing happened. The young did not appear to react. Not even a slight tentacle movement.