Toward the city, Aether could see in the torchlight a stream of armed Threck pouring out the arched entrances, shouting, “The food bays! Thieves! Stop them!”
Eeahso slapped Skinny’s arm and Aether fell back. “Let this go! Join the others! Delay the guards!”
Skinny looked down at Aether for a beat, then toward the guards running along a raised walkway. She made a quick series of gestures before rushing off. “I will return for you, friend.”
Now, only Eeahso and Aether remained at the corner of the levee.
Eeahso eyed her for an instant, then called to the Seekapock as they loaded basket after basket with flopping fish. “Hurry! A moment more, then go!”
Aether planted her hands on the ground, pulled her feet beneath her, and scanned the area for the best escape route. Only a meter away, Eeahso didn’t appear to care what Aether was doing, focused instead on overseeing her mission. A series of “clangs” rang out from the other end of the levee where it met the city’s outer walkways. The Threck guards’ long, bronze blades had crossed various Seekapock weapons.
It was time for Aether to go. To the southwest, she could see a mostly clear path that led around the high city wall and, presumably, into an inland jungle. If she were Qin, that’s the way she’d have gone—the only option, really, that didn’t lead back to the Seekapock camp, the ocean, or the fight in progress. She pulled her MW from its holster, stood, and—
Crack!
Something struck her helmet from behind—hard—and she fell forward, toward the steep slope, falling a full 140 before chest and visor crashed into unyielding cement. Wind knocked from her, she slid, scratching downward another few meters before slowing to a stop. She sucked in air, rolled onto her back, and saw a Threck guard standing over her, long, curved blade held at the ready.
She couldn’t hear anything, but “What is it?” appeared in Livetrans.
In a blur, a series of tentacles flashed by her on both sides, and she caught a glimpse of Eeahso at the top of the levee, hurling curses as she fought off two guards. “Filthy smug Threck! Die, unthinking fools!”
The Threck above Aether kicked her in the side and stabbed down at Aether’s knee—right on the kneecap. Fortunately, the suits had a tough mid-layer of ballistic material, and the Threck weapon was blunt-tipped, but it still felt as though someone had dropped a cinder block on her leg.
Vomit suddenly threatened. Bile seeped into the back of Aether’s throat. She swallowed deep and tightened her grip on the MW, pinky and thumb depressing the safety toggles. Was it set to non-lethal? She couldn’t remember, and the guard above her appeared poised for a blow to Aether’s head. Could the Threck weapon shatter a visor? She didn’t think so, but what if it struck her throat?
Bwop!… Bwop-bwop!
The guard flew backward, smashing to the ground, then rolled limp and heavy over Aether’s downward inclined body. But Aether hadn’t fired.
Qin.
“Let’s go!” Qin in her ear.
Aether glanced up and saw him standing at the base of the slope. She looked down toward her feet and saw a guard’s weapon take off one of Eeahso’s arms with a powerful slash. The tentacle coiled and thrashed and twisted on the ground. The other guard fighting Eeahso turned her attention to Aether and Qin, and before Aether could think or say anything, Qin popped off four more rounds, sending both guards flying out of sight. Successive splashes revealed their fates.
Aether sat up, surveyed the scene, and saw basket-lugging Seekapock fleeing to the jungle, while a few others ran along the levee toward the injured Eeahso.
“Come on!” Qin shouted, grabbing Aether’s hand.
He helped her up the rest of the way and they both fled toward the cover of foliage across the field, pain lighting up Aether’s right leg with each limped step.
“Now what?” Qin huffed. “Where do we go? Tell me what to do!”
“Just keep going this way,” Aether said as they hurdled the low wall and returned to the darkness of the jungle. Aether activated IR. “Let’s get a ways in before finding some cov—” she suddenly belched and more acid filled her mouth.
“Are you okay? What’s happening?”
Aether slapped her visor up and dropped to her knees, empting her mouth along with everything that came behind it. Throat and stomach burned. Tearing eyes burned. Chest. Everything burned.
Qin’s hand rubbed in circles on her back when footfalls came crashing through the jungle behind them. Multiple individuals were closing fast, and it didn’t matter if they were Seekapock or Threck. Neither seemed a safe bet anymore. Qin pushed her down, atop her mess, and lay down flat beside her. Frozen in the undergrowth, Aether fought the urge to wipe her stinging eyes. The crackles and snaps of the approaching steps halted right beside her.
“Bad hide place, this is,” Skinny said. “Threck will come and find without difficulty. We go move.”
“I made a major mistake, didn’t I?” Qin whispered to Aether as they plodded through the dense, untrodden vegetation. “I panicked.”
Aether was hot, tired, in pain, and sick. Her drooping eyes watched the hypnotizing rhythm of Skinny’s marching legs ahead. “You followed your instincts in a dangerous situation and probably saved my life.”
“These are Orange People words?” Skinny asked without turning.
Aether selected and sent the affirmative response from the floating hotlist hovering at the right of her Livetrans app.
“Funny sound,” Skinny said. “Like hissing pikpik.”
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.”