Yellow Sky

Science-Fiction / 6500 words

PREFACE: This one’s been in the works for a while. Glad I finally got it done. It’s the first in a series, though you’ll be able to read them as standalones. Hope you enjoy it!

It was an intricate design of cerulean cascades, as flawless to the naked eye as anything ever crafted by the human mind. It glistened and sparkled and sizzled.

Tara smiled as she took a step back and considered her work. She had never tried to do anything like this before. But going outside your comfort zone could often be refreshing and revitalizing—especially when you felt like you were in a creative slump. She was best known for her intricate portraits and had never tried doing landscapes.

She glanced at her model—the Sadebran Falls were well known not only on Melura but throughout the Pyrean Empire. They had once been a popular tourist attraction. Things had changed, of course. Too much trampling had damaged the site, and when the region had become unstable it had given the officials stronger reasons to cordon off the place.

Tara had lived nearby all her life. Like all other locals, she knew ways in most others did not.

After comparing the two again, she made some final adjustments, then with the blink of an eye her artwork faded and was archived for later review.

She turned and started walking back home, wiping sweat off her forehead. The heat had become unbearable. She’d have to be more careful and only head out when there was more shade.

Still, it was a beautiful day, despite the sweltering heat. Butterflies fluttered around her as she made her way through the bushes. She hurried to the nearest tree to get out of the sun and paused to catch her breath.

As she leaned against the trunk, her eyes caught a glint from the ground. She bent down and saw it was a hairpin. Somewhat longer and thinner than a standard one, with a smooth round silver bulb as its head.

“It looks pretty,” she muttered.

After staring at it for a moment, she grabbed it and stuffed it into her pocket.

A few minutes later, she headed off again, dashing from tree to tree to avoid sunlight as much as she could. She reached a stream and crossed the bridge, barely glancing at a column of water that flowed up toward the clouds.

When she got home, she shedded her clothes, took a shower, then lay down in her garden where a gentle breeze helped cool her off.

She listened to the news while she relaxed.

“The heat is out of control,” lamented a man’s voice. “When are you people going to do something about it?”

“We’ve been warning the government for decades that something like this would happen,” answered another man Tara assumed to be a scientist. “It took them too damn long to heed those warnings, let alone finance our research. We are doing our best, but it may well be too late to save Melura.”

“Too late? What does that even mean?”

“How can it be too late?” asked a woman. “That doesn’t make any sense!”

Tara wrinkled her nose and changed the station to something more pleasant. Music to relax, that’s what she needed. Like everyone else on the planet, she was well aware of the critical state they were in. Some were still in denial, of course—you can’t heal stupidity—but even when disaster looms, the human body needs to rest.

She closed her eyes and soon fell asleep.

***

In the afternoon, she went out again. It was time to start a new project. She had enjoyed doing a landscape and considered doing another. It might be difficult to sell these since they were not what her clients were accustomed to—much less what they expected from her—, but her savings allowed her to take some risks.

She paused when she reached the top of the hill and squinted at some nearby trees. There was a man there, sitting in the shade. Staring straight at her. He waved when he saw her looking in his direction. After a moment of hesitation, she headed toward him.

“Hello,” he called out when she was within earshot. “You should get out of the sun. It’s way too hot this early in the afternoon.”

She shrugged as she reached the shaded area. “It’s always hot these days. Don’t remember ever seeing you around here. New in town?”

“More like passing through.”

“Ah. A tourist, then?”

“Not exactly.” He stood and held out his hand. “Eben Caddar. I’m with Pyrean Intelligence.”

“The P.I.?” She turned to look at the city and squinted. “This is about the disappearances, isn’t it?”

His hand dropped when she failed to grab it.

“What do you know about them?”

Tara shrugged. “As much and as little as everybody else.”

“That’s very helpful,” he said mockingly.

She glanced at him and chuckled. “Sorry. I’m Taraniki Zemm.”

It was her turn to hold out her hand, which he shook with a smile.

“Nice to meet you. Should I know you from somewhere? Your name sounds familiar.”

“You’ll figure it out,” she said with another chuckle. “Anyway, I should get back to work.”

“Whoah! Hold on one minute!”

“What?”

“You haven’t told me what you know about the disappearances.”

“That’s because I don’t know anything.”

“Oh, come now! You must have heard something.”

She sighed. “Only that a dozen people have gone missing in the past two months without leaving a single piece of evidence.”

“Or witness.”

“Or witness. See, you already know everything there is to know about the case. Look, I live in the countryside, far from the city. I’m probably the least likely person to know anything about what’s going on there.” She motioned toward the distant buildings with her chin.

“Not necessarily. Many of the victims were outside the city when they went missing. In fact, two of them were near this spot when—”

He paused when he noticed she seemed distracted.

“Is something wrong?” he asked.

“What? No. I was just watching that boy playing on the field. With the red ball.”

She pointed behind him. He glanced over his shoulder and frowned.

“What boy? There’s no one there, Miss Zemm.”

Tara blinked. “Oh. Well. Never mind.” She made a dismissive gesture. “I told you everything I know. So if there’s nothing else, I really should get going...”

“Here.” He handed her a chip. “It has my contact information. Let me know if you remember anything else.”

She shrugged as she grabbed it and headed off without another word.

***

The next morning, she got up early. Ate breakfast in the kitchen, gathered her tools, and headed out. She’d found a nice valley with a winding river and an old-style farm in the distance. It would make for an interesting subject.

Tara paused on the doorstep as she looked up.

“Yellow? Really?” She grunted. “Well that’s a new one.”

Shaking her head, the artist started off toward her destination, ignoring the offending sky. It would set itself straight, eventually. Everything always did.

She settled in a nice spot, in the shade of a tree, and started to sketch the scenery with her mind. But there was a lot of wind that day and her hair kept getting into her eyes.

Remembering the hairpin she’d found, she brought it out and set it down on her lap while she tied her hair into a knot. Holding the knot with one hand, she grabbed the little thing with the other. The hairpin’s tip grazed against the fabric of her dress and the fabric turned gray.

She froze and stared.

“What? First the sky, now this?”

With a shrug, she changed her grip on the hairpin and used it to keep her hair in place, then went back to work.

***

It was getting dark when Tara decided to take a break. She wasn’t entirely satisfied with her rendering, but she knew she could improve it with some editing. There’d be time for that later—for now, she was too tired and famished.

After putting her tools away, she stood and headed home.

Because it was so late, she wandered off the road to follow a shortcut she’d often used in her childhood. It would take her through some wilder spots, but there were no dangerous animals left around here. Those that had survived the storms and earthquakes—let alone the heat—had all fled to more hospitable lands... though she doubted there were any left on the planet.

As she made her way through the bushes, a glint caught her eye. She blinked and looked around until she saw it again. She slowly made her way toward it, watching her footing, then froze.

There was something there she had never seen before. Something that shouldn’t have been there. A tree, but one entirely made of metal. The light of the moon reflected upon its surface, blinding her for a moment.

She stared at it, shrugged, and headed off again.

It will right itself, she mused. Everything always does.

***

The next morning, the sky was still yellow, though perhaps of a darker shade. This brought a frown to her face.

“Again?”

She grunted as she set off toward the valley where she had worked the previous day. On a whim, she decided to take the same shortcut she had taken on her way home. She paused when she reached the spot where she had seen the metallic tree... But it was gone. She smiled and nodded, satisfied. It was as it should be.

As she was about to leave, she paused again and frowned. Something was still off. A hint of metal under a branch.

No, no, no. She shook her head. I’m just seeing things, is all. There’s nothing there. There never is.

She turned and walked away.

As the hours went by, however, she kept thinking about the tree. It made it difficult for her to focus on her work.

By mid-afternoon, she had grown annoyed enough with the distraction that she pulled out the chip, slid it into her wristpad, and called up Caddar.

The man’s face soon appeared floating before her.

“Oh. Miss Zemm. Good to see you. I assume you remembered something?”

“No. But...”

“What is troubling you?”

Tara sighed. “I saw something odd. In the woods. A tree.”

“A tree in a forest is odd?”

She clucked her tongue. “It was made of metal, Mr. Caddar. So yes, I would call that odd.”

“Oh.” A pause. “You can call me Eben, by the way.”

“Tara.”

“Alright, Tara. Where are you now?”

“Not far from the woods. I will send you the coordinates.”

He read the data as it scrolled before his eyes and nodded.

“Very well. I can be there in a few minutes. Wait for me.”

She cut off the link and considered her holograph of the valley and farm.

It was close, but something was still missing. She had been too distracted to focus and doubted she’d be able to finish the first draft today. Her work always required multiple drafts. She’d start with a quick sketch to mark the locations of all the main points of interest, seize up sizes, then fill out the details. Once she had those basics down, she needed to edit the colors and work on perspectives and distances. Only after all this could she truly flesh out the piece by injecting her personal touch into the holograph. Oh there was plenty of personality throughout the process, but that last bit was the grand finale, a little something that always made her work unique. Something extraordinary in the middle of the ordinary.

Like a yellow sky.

She frowned at the heavens above, then sighed and shook her head. It would have to be something else, but she’d have plenty of time to consider her options.

Deciding she was done for the day, she gathered her things and put them away, then waited in the shade for the investigator.

It did not take long for him to show up. She heard the glider before it appeared, hovering above her tree. It landed gently in the field a few feet from her. The door slid open and Caddar jumped out. He grinned and waved when he saw her stand and walk toward him.

“That’s an interesting look,” he commented as they met.

“What?”

“The gray dress. I don’t think I’d ever seen anything like that before.”

“You can see it?”

“I have eyes, don’t I? Anyway, shall we take the glider?”

She shook her head, seeming startled. “It’s not far. Besides, the trees would make it hard to land. Leave it here, it should be fine.”

“Alright. Lead on. Oh! You were right, by the way, it came back to me. You’re a famous holographer.”

Tara wrinkled her nose as they entered the woods. “Uhm, yeah, except no.”

“Oh, come now! You’ve been featured in all the major media outlets, and your art has been displayed in some of the most prestigious galleries across the—”

“I mean, I don’t like the term ‘holographer.’ It’s not wrong, but neither is it appropriate.”

He blinked. “How do you mean?”

Tara sighed. “It once was the official term for what I do, but over the years it was hijacked by hologrammers. And now every time people talk about holographers they think of holofilms. But I don’t make holofilms, I make holographs.”

“So what would you rather be called?”

“An imager. Simpler and straight to the point.”

“Fair enough.” He looked up at the sky and sighed. “I’ll never get used to that.”

“What?” she asked distractedly as she pushed branches aside.

“The yellow sky.”

She froze and stared at him. “You see that too?”

Caddar blinked. “What’s with you and that question? Of course I can see it. Everyone does. It’s been all over the news.”

“Oh. I haven’t been listening. I—” She frowned. Looked up. Shook her head and made to start off again, but he grabbed her arm.

“Hold on one minute. Why would you think I couldn’t see it?”

“It’s nothing.”

“Tara! What is it?”

“I...” She frowned. “I thought you’d read up on me.”

“Not at all. I just remembered where I’d heard your name. Why? What would I have learned if I’d dug a little?”

She sighed. “You wouldn’t have needed much digging. I have a condition. It’s called Saron Syndrom.”

He let go of her arm as she spoke and they resumed their walk.

“Never heard of it.”

“I sometimes see things that aren’t there. Sometimes I can tell it’s not real because it’s just too weird—”

“Like a yellow sky.”

“Or a metallic tree, yes.”

He grabbed her arm again, forcing her to turn to face him.

“Hold on. Why am I here if that tree isn’t real?”

She grimaced. “I saw it last night, Eben, and I put it out of my mind. But when I saw it again today... It looked like a normal tree, except there was a spot of metal under a branch. That was... unexpected.”

“How do you mean?”

“Usually when a... er, a vision I suppose I should call it, for lack of a better word. When a vision dissipates, there is nothing left of it.”

“So if you’re still seeing metal, it means it’s not a vision?”

She nodded. “Or so I suspect. Which is why I called you.”

He let go of her and they headed off again.

“How did you contract this disease?”

Tara tapped on the side of her head. “You know that thing they put in all of our heads when we’re kids?”

“The chronodyne? What about it?”

“Mine is defective. On one hand, it’s what allows me to brainwave. On the other, it gave me Saron Syndrom. And before you ask, brainwaving is the technology that allows me to create holographs with my mind.”

“I see. Can’t they heal you?”

“Sure. The chronodyne could be replaced—possibly even repaired—but that would also take away my ability to brainwave.”

“So you put up with it.”

She shrugged. “It’s a small price to pay. And I got used to it. Okay, we’re here.” They stopped and she pointed at one of the larger trees in front of them. “Third branch from the bottom, jutting to the right. Look at the base...”

“It’s glinting!”

A sigh of relief. “You see it.”

He glanced at her. “You still doubted?”

“Hard not to,” she muttered.

“Well, it’s there alright.”

“Maybe we should get closer to—”

He grabbed her arm again. “Wait! Listen!”

Tara blinked and pricked up her ears. At first, she heard nothing but the sound of their breaths. Beyond that, the joyful chirping of birds and the buzzing of insects. But then something else—the snapping of branches and the trampling of leaves.

“Someone’s coming,” whispered the investigator as he pulled her behind a boulder. They crouched and waited.

Soon a large man appeared, carrying a body over his shoulder. As he came nearer, the glinting tree shimmered before shifting into its metallic counterpart. The approaching suspect did not seem surprised and headed straight toward it. When he came within a few feet of it, his silhouette shimmered and blurred and vanished.

Tara gasped. “I can’t believe what I just saw!”

The investigator was still staring intently at the tree. “There was another abduction last night,” he said. “You must have come by shortly after the man brought his prize back. I wonder...”

“What?”

Caddar glanced at her as he pointed at the tree.

“That thing is a teleporting device. Get within its reach while it’s active and it’ll suck you away.”

“I hope you’re not thinking what I think you’re thinking...”

He grinned. “Of course I am! This is my job. Thank you so much for your help.”

“What? You’re just going to leave me here?”

The man quirked a brow. “Thought you knew this whole area like the back of your hand? Surely you can’t be scared?”

She grunted. “No. I’m just... I don’t know. Just not what I expected.”

He chuckled.

“I’ll call you tomorrow and let you know what I found,” he said as he started toward the tree.

Like the goon a few minutes earlier, he disappeared as soon as he got within a few feet.

Tara frowned.

That’s assuming you make it back out alive.

***

The next day, Tara went back to the valley but took the long way there. The thought of going near that tree again made her nervous. Avoiding it did not help, however, as she had trouble focusing on her work. She also worried about Caddar. Was he alright? The whole night had passed and it was early afternoon now. She’d expected him to reach out in the morning. Shouldn’t he have returned by now? Had something gone wrong?

She felt tremors in the ground and insects buzzed and fled all around her. After a moment, it stopped. The silence was eerie and did not help lighten her mood.

As the hours went by, she grew more and more restless, until finally she couldn’t take it anymore. She put all her tools away, stood, and headed into the woods.

When she reached the boulder they had hidden behind, she paused and stared at the tree. It looked like any other. She could not even spot the glint anymore. Had she imagined it all? Was it some twisted joke from her ailing mind? Maybe the investigator wasn’t real either.

That thought made her cringe. She couldn’t let herself go down that slope. Her brain had never produced any visions so real, and certainly none that she could interact with. No, this had happened. All of it.

But why hadn’t Caddar come out yet? Surely, he would have called if he had, wouldn’t he?

What if he was in trouble? Nobody knew where he was.

Tara bit down on her lip as she glanced around, but there was no one else.

This is ridiculous. I’m no secret agent. What could I possibly do to help him? Besides, even if there was something I could do, how ever would I get in? She frowned. The same way Eben did last night.

Without thinking, she started stepping toward the tree.

But it’s not metal anymore. And it’s not going to change for me, is it? Of course it won’t. It couldn’t. I just need to make sure so that I can sleep tonight.

She froze when she saw the shape shimmer and blur. Within seconds, its surface was all made of metal.

Oh no, oh no, oh no... What am I going to do?

Tara stared at it for a moment, then resumed her walk.

A tingling sensation ran through her arms. When she looked down, she saw them shimmering and fading out.

She blinked.

When her eyes opened, she no longer was in the woods.

She now stood in the middle of a large circular room, next to a white marble pillar. The wall, floor, and ceiling were all made of granite. Four wooden doors adorned the rock surfaces. A low rumbling rose in the distance.

The sound came from one of the doors. Tara cracked it open and peered through. It was a dimly lit hall. She slid out and quietly shut the door behind her. The noise grew louder as she walked.

She noticed more doors on the walls on each side of her but chose to ignore them, focusing on the rumbling. It was so loud now it felt like the ground under her feet was trembling.

Could it be some new disaster crippling her world outside?

No, this felt different. Localized.

And it came from the room behind this door.

She paused and stared at the handle.

What was she doing?

Whoever was running the abductions could be behind this door. And there couldn’t be only one person. Not considering the technology used, let alone the size of this lair. What did she think she could do, all by herself?

On the other hand, she was very curious.

Surely, a little peek wouldn’t hurt. Then she’d head back. Maybe check on those other rooms, just in case Caddar was locked up in one of them.

Yes. Just a peek.

She pulled the handle and cracked the door open.

The sound was deafening as she slipped her head through and looked around.

It was another circular room, much like the previous, though much larger. In it were a dozen pods with cables connecting them to a central device. Inside the pods were naked bodies. There were people walking around, too. Looking at dials on the machine, taking notes, checking on the pods...

The door was suddenly jerked open. She lost her balance and fell to the ground. Hands grabbed her arms and pulled her to her feet.

“Well, well, well, look what we’ve got here. A little mouse sneaking in the shadows.”

Two bulky men held her, one on each side. A third stood before her. This one was thin, with a long-bearded face and thick glasses on his nose. It was he who had spoken.

“What are you doing here, little mouse?” he asked.

“I’m not a mouse!”

“Spying, I’m sure.”

“What? No! I’m...”

“Yes?”

“I was looking for a friend.”

The man looked at the two others. “A friend, she says! Well, how interesting. How very interesting.” He clapped his hands and more men hurried to his side.

“It sounds, my faithful ones, like we have unwanted guests. Spread out and search the whole base.”

Tara panicked as the goons scattered. “Wait! I didn’t mean it that way! I was looking for him outside. I mean, in the woods. But... but... this tree turned to metal as I walked by and the next thing I knew I was in this weird place with a marble pillar...”

“Indeed? How unfortunate. But worry not! You’re in safe hands now. And while you’re here, would you like me to show you around?”

“What?”

The bearded man smiled. “I’m sure you must be curious, little mouse. Of course you’re curious! That’s why spies are so good at their job after all, isn’t it?”

“I’m no spy!”

“Of course you’re not. Now, where shall we start? Oh well, silly me...” He waved at the device behind him. “You must wonder what this is all about, I’m sure! Worry not, it all shall become clear momentarily. Come.”

A small gesture of the hand and the two guards let go of her, though they remained behind her as the four of them walked closer to the contraption.

Walking in front of her with his hands in his back, the bearded man continued to speak.

“This, my dear little mouse, is an incorporeator. No, I assure you, you’ve never heard of it. Not that I’ve invented this myself, not quite.” He snickered as if remembering a joke, though he did not bother to share it. “The pods you see all around us contain bodies. Those cables connect everything, allowing for the transfer of... Well. How should I put it?”

He fell quiet for a moment, tapping on his lips with the tip of a finger. Stepping closer to the machine, he turned his head to look at her while pointing at a series of slots on the metallic surface.

“This is where I put the memkeys. They hold all the data I need to bring my followers back to life.”

“Back to life?”

“Well yes, of course! What would I do without followers? I need them as much as they need me. But I couldn’t bring them with me, no, the device could only send one person through time. And of course, that had to be me.”

“I don’t understand...”

The bearded fellow clicked his tongue. “Well, I didn’t expect you to. It’s all very complicated after all.” He sighed. “Alright, let me put it as simply as I can. I come from the past, where I worked as a janitor in a lab. They had brilliant scientists there, way ahead of their time.” A pause. A chuckle. “You know what’s funny? People never pay attention to janitors.

“That’s why I loved that job so much. The work itself was repugnant, but it opened so many doors. I was there late at night, when nobody was watching, all alone. I had the keys to every door. It was my domain. I knew what everyone was working on. I watched them during the day and I spied on their work at night. Brilliant scientists, truly.” He made a wide gesture, encompassing everything in the room. “All the technology you see here, it was invented back then, in that lab. The memkeys, the incorporeator... even the time machine I used to jump forward. I made sure to destroy all the research, of course. Couldn’t have them coming after me. No, no, that wouldn’t do, wouldn’t do at all.”

“You are mad.”

The man snickered. “What is madness but another man’s sanity? Come, now! Don’t be so naive. This is how the world works. Survival of the fittest and all that. You take what you must to survive. I saw an opportunity and I seized it.

“But traveling through time wasn’t enough. I needed people to help me build the better world I dreamed of. Faithful followers. Those memkeys, you see, each of these can store the personality, the DNA, and all the memories of an individual. I had dozens of them, which meant as many people I could take with me.

“So I went to the streets. I looked for the poor, the forgotten, the needy, the downtrodden, the invisible... People who had lost all hope, and I gave them back hope. I told them they were important. I told them they were special. That they had a destiny, that great things awaited them. I gave them faith—in themselves and in a greater purpose. If they followed me, if they believed in me, they would inherit the world. Before long, the word spread, and they were flocking to me. This was all they needed. Someone who believed in them and who they could believe in. And oh, how they believed! They would have given their lives for me. And, in fact, they did—”

“You mean you killed them!”

“I did not kill them! I saved them. From a life of misery. With me, they have resurrected into a new body and a new world where they can start anew. Here, the sky is the limit. Oh, it will require hard labor, of course, but they always knew this. I did not hide the facts from them. But still they have faith, for they have seen the truth in my words.”

“You are insane.”

The man grimaced. “There you go again with the ignorant claims. Be silent, child. You are a disgrace.”

“But—”

“Bah! Why do I even bother? You couldn’t understand any of this. Not bright enough. Doesn’t matter anyway. You’ll be dead in a few hours.”

Tara gulped. “What?”

He laughed. “Well of course, little mouse! What did you think? That I’d let you snoop around and let you go as if nothing had happened? You’ve committed a grievous crime that must be severely punished.”

“But...”

He smiled. “Yes?”

“You said I’d be safe!”

“Hmm. I did say that, didn’t I?” He took on a thoughtful expression, then smiled again. “Ah, well, I guess I lied. Sorry.”

He clapped his hands and she felt the goons grabbing her arms again and pulling her away.

“Wait! Please! You can’t do this! I’m a nobody! I swear I’m not a spy!”

But the man had already turned his back and forgotten about her.

The men took her to a cell and threw her in. They locked her up and marched away.

***

“Psst!”

Tara woke up with a start.

She was startled that she’d fallen asleep at all, what with the threat weighing on her head. The ground had shook for a long time, too, she remembered that much, though she did not recall it stopping. She must have been quite tired.

“Psst!”

She straightened and looked around the cell, trying to find the source of the sound.

“Over here!”

That voice... she’d heard it before.

“Eben? Is that you?”

“Hush! Not so loud. I’m over here. At the door.”

She jumped to her feet and rushed to him.

There was a small opening at the top with bars across. He was looking at her from the other side.

“Eben! I’m so glad to see you!”

“I bet.” He sighed. “What are you doing here, Tara? You should have stayed at home.”

“You never called back, so I thought maybe you were in trouble—”

“And you thought you’d come to rescue me?” He sounded amused.

She made a face. “Well, when you put it like that...”

He chuckled. “I’m touched that you cared, but I was fine. Been keeping out of sight. It’s my job you know. That said, I must admit, I learned more in those few minutes you were chatting up the guy than in all the hours I wasted here before that.”

“You heard?”

“Yeah. I found a small alcove near the ceiling. A bit tricky to reach, but hard to spot. But enough talk, I need to get you out of there. If you’d step away from the door, please?”

“What? Oh, sure...”

She did as instructed and waited a few seconds.

The man’s face disappeared as he leaned. She heard scratching sounds coming from the handle, then steps moving away. Silence. A hiss, followed by sparks and a sharp crack. Footsteps again, coming closer. The handle turned and the door swung open.

Eben stood there, grinning, and she rushed into his arms, sobbing.

“I’m so sorry!”

“Oh come now!” he said, a bit startled as he awkwardly tapped her back. “You did fine. Everything’s okay. But we better not linger.”

“Right.”

They hurried into the hall.

“So what do we do now?” she asked.

“We stop the madman.”

“I was afraid you’d say that.”

He chuckled. “Would you rather let him build his army of undead?”

“Are they really undead?”

“No, but I thought it’d sound more ominous if I said it like that.”

She grunted. “What are they anyway?”

“You heard him. He’s using the kidnapped bodies to host his followers. What I don’t know is what happened to the original people. Did they die in the process or do they remain prisoners inside their own bodies?”

“Neither sounds good.”

“You’re right about that.”

They turned at a corner and he pulled her toward the wall.

“What?”

“There. Look.”

He pointed at a shadow. She blinked.

“I don’t see anything.”

“Told you it was hard to spot. Look.”

Letting go of her arm, he slipped toward the wall and half his body disappeared.

“Huh? How did you do that?”

His head popped out, a grin on his face.

“Come on. Just follow me. You’ll see, it’s pretty cool.”

“Follow you where?”

Without another word, Caddar’s entire body vanished.

Gulping, she stepped closer and held out her hands, feeling for the wall... but there was nothing there. She almost lost her balance but felt hands grabbing and steadying her.

“Easy now.”

She could hear the amusement in his voice.

“Can’t see a thing,” she said.

“It’ll get better. Here, grab my hand, I’ll guide you.”

She followed him slowly, and soon she saw a ray of light above her head. The ground sloped, too, she could sense that much.

“It gets a bit steeper here,” Caddar warned. “Reach out with your hands and you’ll find some holds you can grip on to pull yourself up.”

“Can’t we just light this place up with our wristpads?”

“Tried that once and almost got caught, so I’d rather not take the chance again.”

She grunted as she felt around in the dark until she found the holds. Her fists tightened around them and she started her way up.

When they reached the top, she was amazed to see they had a perfect view of the incorporeator.

“What is this place?” she asked in awe.

“Well, I’d have to know where we are exactly before I could answer that.”

“You don’t know?”

“I’ve been in here since I walked into that tree, so no idea. I’ve planted some beacons though. When I get out I’ll be able to triagulate on them. But in the meantime, I’m as clueless as you are, I’m afraid.”

“Okay.” She looked back toward the machine. “Now what? They’ll soon find out that I’m gone, you know.”

“It’s not only beacons I planted.” She heard his snicker though she couldn’t see his face in the darkness. “I saw an opportunity before I came to get you. There was no one down there for a few minutes, so I took a gamble.”

She gasped. “Don’t tell me you placed explosives!”

“I didn’t.”

She squinted. “Are you saying that because I told you not to tell me—”

He laughed. “No, no, it’s not explosives! Only disruptors.”

“Oh.”

“We’ll wait here until they trigger. Then while they all panic and try to figure out why nothing is working anymore, we’ll slip out and call for backup.”

“Why not do that now?”

“I tried but communications are not getting through. As for leaving, there are too many people walking around, especially after you let on that you had an accomplice.”

“Sorry! I didn’t mean to, but—”

“Don’t worry about it. What is done is done. Look! The boss is back.”

The bearded man walked up to the incorporeator and read the dials before making adjustments.

“How much longer before they blow? Or, rather, disrupt...”

“Any minute now.”

They waited.

The room lit up with sparks and hisses as the disruptors went off, one after the other.

The boss jumped back from the machine, startled.

“What is this?” he yelled.

Men came running in.

“Come on,” whispered Caddar, “that’s our cue.”

They hurried back down and slipped into the hall to echoes of shouting and cursing. Tara followed the Pyrean agent as he led them through deserted tunnels back to the room with the pillar.

“Do you know how to get out?” she asked anxiously, shooting glances over her shoulder.

“I watched some of them come and go through here. I think it works very much like the tree, except it doesn’t glow.”

He stepped forward, holding out his hand, and his hand disappeared when it touched the pillar.

“Alright, here we go!”

As the man’s whole body vanished, she heard running footsteps coming from the hall behind her. Tensing, she rushed to the pillar and...

The next second she was back in the forest.

“Men are coming!” she cried out.

Caddar drew his phaser. “Quick! Let’s get behind that boulder.”

It was the same one they’d used before.

They took cover and waited, but no one came.

“I heard them running toward us!” she said as she wiped sweat off her forehead—was it even hotter now, or was she just imagining things?

“Well, maybe they turned into another hall. Alright, we better get out of here while we can. You should go home. Better lock yourself up as we don’t know how much information they have on you. I’ll send for backup right away.”

They parted ways after he promised to keep her posted.

***

The next day, Caddar showed up at her door.

“How did it go?” she asked as she let him in.

“Not as well as I’d hoped,” he admitted with a sigh. “The beacons told us they were in an underground compound right under the city. A disaffected scientific base of some sort. There used to be several entrances but they all caved in years ago. We had to use the tree to get in, but by the time we got there the place was empty.”

“They saw you coming?”

“Not so much saw as suspected. Between your disappearance and the disruptors, they must not have wanted to take any chances. But at least now we know there are people out there who are not who they seem to be. We have some of their faces and names on record, too.”

“What about that machine?”

“The incorporeator? Still disrupted. Our scientists are all over it, trying to understand how it functions. The memkeys are gone, though. That bearded guy must have snatched them up before he fled.”

“So he could still build his army of followers?”

Caddar nodded glumly. “But we’ll find them all, eventually.”

Their wristpads both rang at the same time, with a red flashing light.

They tapped the screens and the same floating face appeared between them.

“Emergency broadcast! The Pyrean government has released evacuation orders. Do not ignore! Proceed immediately to the nearest spaceport and follow instructions from the military. Please remain calm.”

The investigator glanced at her.

“I had hoped it wouldn’t come to this,” he muttered.

She sighed as the image faded. “Me too.”

“Well, I had better go. Be safe.”

After they’d parted, she stood on the porch and stared for a long time at the darkening yellow sky.

If you like my writing, please consider buying a copy of my novel, upgrading to a paid subscription, or making a Paypal or Ko-fi donation. As an independent author, any of these would help a lot!

Enjoy my writing and want more Science-Fiction from me? Check out these stories:

• When Darkness Hides the Light (a sick man tries to survive alone on a ship)

• Letter to Tya (a war criminal writes a letter to his newborn child)

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Text (c) 2024 by Alex S. Garcia.

Header: royalty-free stock images, edited by me.

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