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Chapter One: After The Fall
Octavian shivered. A gust of wind blew the snow into his eyes. He felt it melt against his face. The cold cut his lungs when he breathed in. His breath formed clouds that were whipped away by the wind.
He looked around, squinting his eyes against the falling snowflakes. The white countryside spread out below him. Behind him the rocky outcrop was covered in snow and ice. Trees stood out against the whiteness of the snow by their black trunks.
The thin fabric of his Guardian uniform offered him little protection from the cold.
What the hell am I doing here? He asked himself.
With another involuntary shiver he turned and retraced his fast disappearing footsteps back into the cave he had emerged from.
The cave did at least offer him some protection against the wind, however the floor sloped down and was covered with loose scree that caused his booted feet to slip. He scrambled back in through the large crack in the wall of the room he had emerged from. It took a little time for his eyes to become accustomed to the gloom after the brightness of the snow.
He sat down and leaned his back against the concrete wall just as the earth beneath shook slightly. Some rubble from the cave fell into the room through the large crack in the concrete.
Octavian opened his mind and tried to sense the Guardian Artificial Intelligence but there was nothing. The computer was silent. He cast his thoughts out further to try and sense anything at all but he found nothing. There were no computer systems within range of his mind.
It was definitely an AI bunker but it should have been several hundred meters underground not near the surface. He thought back to the last things he could remember. He had been trying to quell a riot on the planet Cartigia. The Cartigians were angry because the Guardians had prevented them taking revenge against a band of Dacians who had attacked one of their colonies on a planet several light years away. The Dacians had been removed from the colony planet by the Guardians and sent back to Dacia for punishment.
The Cartigians had objected. They wanted to teach the Dacians a lesson themselves. Octavian sighed, without the Guardians to police the Galaxy it would soon deteriorate into war and chaos. The Cartigians had started to get violent. Octavian was about to summon aid from the Planets AI computer when someone from the crowd had shot him. He had felt the laser burn into his chest. The pain was such that he hardly remembered the familiar lurch as the AI transported him away from danger into her bunker.
Through the pain he vaguely remembered her Avatar standing over him. She was placing him into a medi bed to heal his wound. The next thing he could remember was waking up in the near darkness. Faint light was coming in through a crack in the wall of the bunker. He had stumbled out through the crack in a near daze hardly knowing what he was doing. It had been the cold of the snow on his face that had finally brought him to his senses.
He stood and walked over to the Medi bed. There was a faint glow from the console and he could see where a lose part of the ceiling had fallen and caused the automatic revival function to start. The bed must have been set in stasis mode otherwise he would of remembered something of what had gone on during the journey here, where ever here was.
He went to the door that should open out to a corridor leading to the Guardian quarters. Every AI bunker was the same. There was sufficient room for at least four Guardians to live comfortably. At the end of the corridor would be a door to the main hanger where two black ships should be parked.
The AI core was also housed in the Hanger. The problem Octavian had was there was no way of getting the ships out of the hanger without the AI. They were sealed in and had to be transported out using the AI’s transporter system.
Octavian leaned against the door. It was very stiff and he had to push hard to open it. It opened slowly and then stuck fast. The gap was just enough for Octavian to squeeze through. He stood in the corridor and the darkness was almost total. There was no way he could possibly explore further without a light.
He turned and squeezed back into the ruined medical room. The AI on Cartigia was named Adrasteia. He wondered which AI he would find when he was able to explore further. Cartigia was a temperate planet with lush forests to the north giving way to deserts towards the south. The far side of the planet was a large ocean. There was some ice at the poles of the planet. At the height of the summer the Northern ice cap almost completely melted.
Octavian searched the medical room in the hope of finding something useful. He found his battle armour but it was folded away into a belt and to his surprise the power cell was totally depleted. He could not get it to unfold. The power cell was designed to last for years in continuous use and almost last a lifetime when in standby mode.
With the armour was his hand laser. That too was fully depleted. Of the two spare cells he found one with a little power, just enough for four or five shots no more. His battle staff which was attached to his armour belt would not extend, its power cell was also fully depleted. Octavian was getting concerned, how long had he been in stasis on the Medi bed?
He was grateful that his favourite weapons were his two single hand swords. They were leaning against the wall complete with their scabbards. A Guardian was at least free to chose what weapons he liked. They were encouraged during training to develop skills with at least two different types. He had taken up the staff and the dual wield swords.
At least they did not need a power cell! He thought to himself.
He needed to get a light so he could explore the rest of the facility. One priority was to find some warm clothing. He could then go outside and hunt for food. He was grateful that part of the Guardian training included survival skills. If there were any game in the frozen waste outside he would at least have a fighting chance of surviving.
His next priority would be to find out which planet he was on. The best way would be to go to the AI core. It would give the name of the AI. He would at least then have some clue as to the planet. There was a further niggling question, why had they transferred him to this cold desolate planet? Why hadn’t Adrasteia treated him on Cartigia? Octavian put that question aside for the moment. He shivered. His first priority now was warmth.
He needed a fire and something with which to make a passable torch. He crawled back through the crack in the wall into the cave. There was plenty of wind blown leaves on the cave floor so at least this hellhole had some semblance of a summer with deciduous trees.
He ventured out side. The cold cut through his light tropical Guardian uniform. He could not stay long or he would suffer from exposure. Luckily there was an old stunted dead tree near the entrance, which he was able to pull down and drag to the cave. Once he was out of the wind in the cave mouth he proceeded to break up the old tree. He then dragged the broken branches into the medical room. The effort had made him feel warmer. Using the dry leaves as tinder he lit a fire using the laser on low power. Conserving the power pack as much as possible.
Rummaging around the medical room cupboards he located some dressings that he tied to several branches making passable torches. As long as he remembered to light one before the other went out he should have enough to quickly explore the bunker.
He tucked his makeshift torches into his belt and lit the first one. When it was well alight he pushed through the door into the corridor. He pushed open the door to the living area and quickly located a uniform overcoat. He put it on gratefully. If only his luck would hold for the rest of the search. He also located a winter uniform. It was a little too small for him but it was better than his summer tropical one. In the kitchen there were some ration packs. He picked them up and pushed everything he had collected into the medical room for investigation later. He did not want to waste his precious torches with details.
Octavian lit another torch and made his way to the hanger door. This one was stiff and he had to put his shoulder against it to force it open. He was met by a blast of stale musty air. Carefully moving forward he entered the hanger. In the flickering light of the torch he just made out the first black ship. He new that it would be locked down and he could not gain access without a functioning AI to release the entrance hatch. The hanger was empty except for the two ships and the AI core that was the size of a large two-story building. It looked to Octavian as if the core had shifted at some time breaking the connections to the thermo reactor. The reactor derived its power from the heat of the planet’s core. The Guardian AI computers were designed to last for millennia. Only geological disasters would cause them to fail such as this one. He made his way to the core noticing that everything was covered in a fine dust. It was obvious that no one had been here for very many years.
The name of the AI was usually printed on the side of the core building. He could see faint text under the layer of dust. With his free hand he brushed at the dust and spelt out the name as each letter appeared. A..D..R..A..S..T.. his hand started to shake. It was not possible! He brushed of the last letters, his heart in his mouth E..I..A.
ADRASTEIA.
He dropped his torch in shock. He was immediately plunged into pitch black. He controlled his breathing with an effort and stood still waiting for his eyes to adjust to the blackness. After a few moments he could just see a faint glimmer through the door he had left open on the other side of the hanger.
He carefully made his way feeling with his hands in front of him. Except for the faint light from the open door the place was in total blackness. He suddenly staggered back rubbing his head. He cursed, the black ship, he had forgotten it and he had struck the bottom of the fuselage with his head.
Octavian lifted one hand above his head and felt his way around the underside of the ship. He finally made it to the hanger door without further incident. Once he was through there was light from his fire that flickered through the open door to the medical room.
Reaching the medical room Octavian slumped down. His mind had been blank after reading the name on the side of the AI core. He leaned forward and put his head in his hands. He was on Cartigia but this was not Cartigia. The climate should be temperate but this was almost an ice planet. His mind teetered on the edge of madness. His breathing was ragged and came in gasps. He felt giddy. Octavian lay down and immediately fell into an exhausted and troubled sleep.
He woke some time later shivering with cold. Light streamed in through the crack in the wall. He glanced at the fire it was merely a few glowing embers. The memory of where he was came flooding back. Right I was obviously in stasis on the Medi bed for a very long time. I have to take control of the situation.
He shivered again. The fire needed some attention. Octavian stood and went over to the pile of dried wood. He carefully stoked the fire and it was soon burning brightly again. He sat down by the pile of items he had collected from the living quarters. He had not realised how hungry he was. His stomach rumbled he felt empty.
He investigated the ration packs first. They were sterilised and sealed so in theory they should last indefinitely in the correct conditions. Of the packs he had found only two had survived in a satisfactory condition. They were dried rations and the seals had remained intact. It was the ready to eat ones that had not lasted. There was a pan amongst the items he had collected. He pulled the coat tightly around himself and ventured out of the cave to collect some snow.
When he emerged from the cave he had to shield his eyes from the bright morning sunlight. The wind had dropped and it had stopped snowing. His breath hung in the still morning air. He had to breathe slowly. The bitter cold formed painful icicles in his nose and hurt his lungs if he was not careful. The coat did however offer him protection from the cold. He quickly gathered some clean fresh snow into his pan. He remembered the survival instructor joking with them ‘Never use yellow snow!” He smiled at the memory. The thought made him feel better.
The snow melted quickly over the fire. Octavian stirred in one of the dried ration bag contents. The smell of the cooking stew made his mouth water. He stirred it for the recommended period even though his hunger was gnawing at him.
Once the stew was ready he lifted it from the fire. He ate directly from the saucepan blowing on each spoonful to cool it. This was the first meal he had eaten since being shot. How long ago was that, thousands, millions of years? Even with the stew warming him he shivered. The pan was empty Octavian felt much better. He could now face the world. First with only one more ration pack he had to find food. Once his food supply was secured he could then think what to do next. Perhaps he could get into the AI core and obtain the codes for the black ships. If he could activate one he could get off the planet. If not he might be able to salvage some useful information. After that he had to find civilisation somewhere.
He stood and walked over to the medi bed. He pulled open one of the side panels and stripped out the wires. He stripped the small wires then constructed some small animal traps with the wires and wood from the tree he had salvaged.
The winter uniform he had found was a little tight around the waist but otherwise it seemed to fit. He put on the overcoat and buckled on his swords. He was now ready for whatever else life could throw at him.
Chapter Two: Seonaid.
Octavian scrambled through the crack in the wall up out of the cave and into the bright sunlight. The snow crunched under his boots. Where the snow was deep it made his legs ache pushing through it. He made for the line of trees. The snow was not as thick under the trees and he found it easier to walk. He quickly found signs of small animals. There was one with long back legs that hopped rather than walked. He caught a glimpse of some. They were thirty to fifty centimetres long and he noticed they had long ears. He set his wires carefully noting where there seemed to be runs through the undergrowth.
In the distance he noticed a group of larger four legged animals. They seemed to be clearing the snow and eating grass and moss beneath. The larger ones with antlers stood as high as he did. They seemed nervous constantly lifting their heads and looking about.
Keeping downwind of them he moved closer. Using the trees as cover he carefully placed each foot. Once a branch he stepped on broke with a crack. The animals all looked up and seemed on the point of flight. Octavian held his breath and stood still. There was one off to one side closer to him than the others. He assumed it was a female, as it had no antlers. When he was close enough for a clean shot he pulled the laser from is belt. He would use one of the remaining shots for such a large animal. He assessed that the risk was worth it.
Holding his hand steady he raised the laser pistol and took careful aim. He held his breath and fired. The animal fell immediately. The rest of the herd looked round. The laser was almost silent but as soon as the animal fell the remainder took flight. He hefted the dead creature over his shoulders and made his way back to the cave.
He was just going to step out from the line of trees when a sixth sense made him hesitate. He kept to the shadows and watched. There was a large band of people with carts and chariots moving along the line of trees. They were sticking to the edge of the trees where the snow was thin. The women and children walking by the wagons looked weary but the men looked formidable. They were dressed in thick material with a square multi coloured pattern on it. They had shields slung across their backs and long swords strapped to their sides. The ones on the chariots had bundles of spears tied to the side rail. Their hair was a reddish brown, worn long. Some had full red beards. The one thing that made him hesitate was the chariots had skulls lashed to the sides. Some of the walking warriors had skulls dangling from their belts.
He saw immediately they were not Cartigians. The Cartigians were a thick set stocky people with low foreheads, thick eyebrow ridges and wide flattened faces. Unbelievably they looked like his people the Lantians. Other than a training base on one of Cartigia’s large islands there were none of his people on this world.
Octavian decided to remain hidden so he dropped down behind a clump of bushes he saw just off to his right. He made sure he was able to watch the group as they moved past. On some of the wagons there were what seemed to be wounded warriors. It looked as though they had recently been in a battle. Some of the wagons had darker haired people tied to them. They were not dressed the same and were all women or children. One of the children fell and was being dragged along by the cart he was tied too. As he struggled to get up one of the warriors turned back; drew a knife, cut the rope and slit the child’s throat. With a kick he pushed the small body into the undergrowth.
While most people’s attention was on this gruesome tableaux Octavian noticed a woman tied to one of the other wagons slip her bonds and dive to the edge of the wood. She hid herself in the same large clump of bushes Octavian was hiding in. He remained still and silent waiting to see what happened next. He could hear her frightened ragged breathing. The group had passed by and were moving away round the far edge of the trees. The woman stood up. She had not noticed the two warriors bringing up the rear. One pulled his long sword just as she turned.
Octavian shivered. A gust of wind blew the snow into his eyes. He felt it melt against his face. The cold cut his lungs when he breathed in. His breath formed clouds that were whipped away by the wind.
He looked around, squinting his eyes against the falling snowflakes. The white countryside spread out below him. Behind him the rocky outcrop was covered in snow and ice. Trees stood out against the whiteness of the snow by their black trunks.
The thin fabric of his Guardian uniform offered him little protection from the cold.
What the hell am I doing here? He asked himself.
With another involuntary shiver he turned and retraced his fast disappearing footsteps back into the cave he had emerged from.
The cave did at least offer him some protection against the wind, however the floor sloped down and was covered with loose scree that caused his booted feet to slip. He scrambled back in through the large crack in the wall of the room he had emerged from. It took a little time for his eyes to become accustomed to the gloom after the brightness of the snow.
He sat down and leaned his back against the concrete wall just as the earth beneath shook slightly. Some rubble from the cave fell into the room through the large crack in the concrete.
Octavian opened his mind and tried to sense the Guardian Artificial Intelligence but there was nothing. The computer was silent. He cast his thoughts out further to try and sense anything at all but he found nothing. There were no computer systems within range of his mind.
It was definitely an AI bunker but it should have been several hundred meters underground not near the surface. He thought back to the last things he could remember. He had been trying to quell a riot on the planet Cartigia. The Cartigians were angry because the Guardians had prevented them taking revenge against a band of Dacians who had attacked one of their colonies on a planet several light years away. The Dacians had been removed from the colony planet by the Guardians and sent back to Dacia for punishment.
The Cartigians had objected. They wanted to teach the Dacians a lesson themselves. Octavian sighed, without the Guardians to police the Galaxy it would soon deteriorate into war and chaos. The Cartigians had started to get violent. Octavian was about to summon aid from the Planets AI computer when someone from the crowd had shot him. He had felt the laser burn into his chest. The pain was such that he hardly remembered the familiar lurch as the AI transported him away from danger into her bunker.
Through the pain he vaguely remembered her Avatar standing over him. She was placing him into a medi bed to heal his wound. The next thing he could remember was waking up in the near darkness. Faint light was coming in through a crack in the wall of the bunker. He had stumbled out through the crack in a near daze hardly knowing what he was doing. It had been the cold of the snow on his face that had finally brought him to his senses.
He stood and walked over to the Medi bed. There was a faint glow from the console and he could see where a lose part of the ceiling had fallen and caused the automatic revival function to start. The bed must have been set in stasis mode otherwise he would of remembered something of what had gone on during the journey here, where ever here was.
He went to the door that should open out to a corridor leading to the Guardian quarters. Every AI bunker was the same. There was sufficient room for at least four Guardians to live comfortably. At the end of the corridor would be a door to the main hanger where two black ships should be parked.
The AI core was also housed in the Hanger. The problem Octavian had was there was no way of getting the ships out of the hanger without the AI. They were sealed in and had to be transported out using the AI’s transporter system.
Octavian leaned against the door. It was very stiff and he had to push hard to open it. It opened slowly and then stuck fast. The gap was just enough for Octavian to squeeze through. He stood in the corridor and the darkness was almost total. There was no way he could possibly explore further without a light.
He turned and squeezed back into the ruined medical room. The AI on Cartigia was named Adrasteia. He wondered which AI he would find when he was able to explore further. Cartigia was a temperate planet with lush forests to the north giving way to deserts towards the south. The far side of the planet was a large ocean. There was some ice at the poles of the planet. At the height of the summer the Northern ice cap almost completely melted.
Octavian searched the medical room in the hope of finding something useful. He found his battle armour but it was folded away into a belt and to his surprise the power cell was totally depleted. He could not get it to unfold. The power cell was designed to last for years in continuous use and almost last a lifetime when in standby mode.
With the armour was his hand laser. That too was fully depleted. Of the two spare cells he found one with a little power, just enough for four or five shots no more. His battle staff which was attached to his armour belt would not extend, its power cell was also fully depleted. Octavian was getting concerned, how long had he been in stasis on the Medi bed?
He was grateful that his favourite weapons were his two single hand swords. They were leaning against the wall complete with their scabbards. A Guardian was at least free to chose what weapons he liked. They were encouraged during training to develop skills with at least two different types. He had taken up the staff and the dual wield swords.
At least they did not need a power cell! He thought to himself.
He needed to get a light so he could explore the rest of the facility. One priority was to find some warm clothing. He could then go outside and hunt for food. He was grateful that part of the Guardian training included survival skills. If there were any game in the frozen waste outside he would at least have a fighting chance of surviving.
His next priority would be to find out which planet he was on. The best way would be to go to the AI core. It would give the name of the AI. He would at least then have some clue as to the planet. There was a further niggling question, why had they transferred him to this cold desolate planet? Why hadn’t Adrasteia treated him on Cartigia? Octavian put that question aside for the moment. He shivered. His first priority now was warmth.
He needed a fire and something with which to make a passable torch. He crawled back through the crack in the wall into the cave. There was plenty of wind blown leaves on the cave floor so at least this hellhole had some semblance of a summer with deciduous trees.
He ventured out side. The cold cut through his light tropical Guardian uniform. He could not stay long or he would suffer from exposure. Luckily there was an old stunted dead tree near the entrance, which he was able to pull down and drag to the cave. Once he was out of the wind in the cave mouth he proceeded to break up the old tree. He then dragged the broken branches into the medical room. The effort had made him feel warmer. Using the dry leaves as tinder he lit a fire using the laser on low power. Conserving the power pack as much as possible.
Rummaging around the medical room cupboards he located some dressings that he tied to several branches making passable torches. As long as he remembered to light one before the other went out he should have enough to quickly explore the bunker.
He tucked his makeshift torches into his belt and lit the first one. When it was well alight he pushed through the door into the corridor. He pushed open the door to the living area and quickly located a uniform overcoat. He put it on gratefully. If only his luck would hold for the rest of the search. He also located a winter uniform. It was a little too small for him but it was better than his summer tropical one. In the kitchen there were some ration packs. He picked them up and pushed everything he had collected into the medical room for investigation later. He did not want to waste his precious torches with details.
Octavian lit another torch and made his way to the hanger door. This one was stiff and he had to put his shoulder against it to force it open. He was met by a blast of stale musty air. Carefully moving forward he entered the hanger. In the flickering light of the torch he just made out the first black ship. He new that it would be locked down and he could not gain access without a functioning AI to release the entrance hatch. The hanger was empty except for the two ships and the AI core that was the size of a large two-story building. It looked to Octavian as if the core had shifted at some time breaking the connections to the thermo reactor. The reactor derived its power from the heat of the planet’s core. The Guardian AI computers were designed to last for millennia. Only geological disasters would cause them to fail such as this one. He made his way to the core noticing that everything was covered in a fine dust. It was obvious that no one had been here for very many years.
The name of the AI was usually printed on the side of the core building. He could see faint text under the layer of dust. With his free hand he brushed at the dust and spelt out the name as each letter appeared. A..D..R..A..S..T.. his hand started to shake. It was not possible! He brushed of the last letters, his heart in his mouth E..I..A.
ADRASTEIA.
He dropped his torch in shock. He was immediately plunged into pitch black. He controlled his breathing with an effort and stood still waiting for his eyes to adjust to the blackness. After a few moments he could just see a faint glimmer through the door he had left open on the other side of the hanger.
He carefully made his way feeling with his hands in front of him. Except for the faint light from the open door the place was in total blackness. He suddenly staggered back rubbing his head. He cursed, the black ship, he had forgotten it and he had struck the bottom of the fuselage with his head.
Octavian lifted one hand above his head and felt his way around the underside of the ship. He finally made it to the hanger door without further incident. Once he was through there was light from his fire that flickered through the open door to the medical room.
Reaching the medical room Octavian slumped down. His mind had been blank after reading the name on the side of the AI core. He leaned forward and put his head in his hands. He was on Cartigia but this was not Cartigia. The climate should be temperate but this was almost an ice planet. His mind teetered on the edge of madness. His breathing was ragged and came in gasps. He felt giddy. Octavian lay down and immediately fell into an exhausted and troubled sleep.
He woke some time later shivering with cold. Light streamed in through the crack in the wall. He glanced at the fire it was merely a few glowing embers. The memory of where he was came flooding back. Right I was obviously in stasis on the Medi bed for a very long time. I have to take control of the situation.
He shivered again. The fire needed some attention. Octavian stood and went over to the pile of dried wood. He carefully stoked the fire and it was soon burning brightly again. He sat down by the pile of items he had collected from the living quarters. He had not realised how hungry he was. His stomach rumbled he felt empty.
He investigated the ration packs first. They were sterilised and sealed so in theory they should last indefinitely in the correct conditions. Of the packs he had found only two had survived in a satisfactory condition. They were dried rations and the seals had remained intact. It was the ready to eat ones that had not lasted. There was a pan amongst the items he had collected. He pulled the coat tightly around himself and ventured out of the cave to collect some snow.
When he emerged from the cave he had to shield his eyes from the bright morning sunlight. The wind had dropped and it had stopped snowing. His breath hung in the still morning air. He had to breathe slowly. The bitter cold formed painful icicles in his nose and hurt his lungs if he was not careful. The coat did however offer him protection from the cold. He quickly gathered some clean fresh snow into his pan. He remembered the survival instructor joking with them ‘Never use yellow snow!” He smiled at the memory. The thought made him feel better.
The snow melted quickly over the fire. Octavian stirred in one of the dried ration bag contents. The smell of the cooking stew made his mouth water. He stirred it for the recommended period even though his hunger was gnawing at him.
Once the stew was ready he lifted it from the fire. He ate directly from the saucepan blowing on each spoonful to cool it. This was the first meal he had eaten since being shot. How long ago was that, thousands, millions of years? Even with the stew warming him he shivered. The pan was empty Octavian felt much better. He could now face the world. First with only one more ration pack he had to find food. Once his food supply was secured he could then think what to do next. Perhaps he could get into the AI core and obtain the codes for the black ships. If he could activate one he could get off the planet. If not he might be able to salvage some useful information. After that he had to find civilisation somewhere.
He stood and walked over to the medi bed. He pulled open one of the side panels and stripped out the wires. He stripped the small wires then constructed some small animal traps with the wires and wood from the tree he had salvaged.
The winter uniform he had found was a little tight around the waist but otherwise it seemed to fit. He put on the overcoat and buckled on his swords. He was now ready for whatever else life could throw at him.
Chapter Two: Seonaid.
Octavian scrambled through the crack in the wall up out of the cave and into the bright sunlight. The snow crunched under his boots. Where the snow was deep it made his legs ache pushing through it. He made for the line of trees. The snow was not as thick under the trees and he found it easier to walk. He quickly found signs of small animals. There was one with long back legs that hopped rather than walked. He caught a glimpse of some. They were thirty to fifty centimetres long and he noticed they had long ears. He set his wires carefully noting where there seemed to be runs through the undergrowth.
In the distance he noticed a group of larger four legged animals. They seemed to be clearing the snow and eating grass and moss beneath. The larger ones with antlers stood as high as he did. They seemed nervous constantly lifting their heads and looking about.
Keeping downwind of them he moved closer. Using the trees as cover he carefully placed each foot. Once a branch he stepped on broke with a crack. The animals all looked up and seemed on the point of flight. Octavian held his breath and stood still. There was one off to one side closer to him than the others. He assumed it was a female, as it had no antlers. When he was close enough for a clean shot he pulled the laser from is belt. He would use one of the remaining shots for such a large animal. He assessed that the risk was worth it.
Holding his hand steady he raised the laser pistol and took careful aim. He held his breath and fired. The animal fell immediately. The rest of the herd looked round. The laser was almost silent but as soon as the animal fell the remainder took flight. He hefted the dead creature over his shoulders and made his way back to the cave.
He was just going to step out from the line of trees when a sixth sense made him hesitate. He kept to the shadows and watched. There was a large band of people with carts and chariots moving along the line of trees. They were sticking to the edge of the trees where the snow was thin. The women and children walking by the wagons looked weary but the men looked formidable. They were dressed in thick material with a square multi coloured pattern on it. They had shields slung across their backs and long swords strapped to their sides. The ones on the chariots had bundles of spears tied to the side rail. Their hair was a reddish brown, worn long. Some had full red beards. The one thing that made him hesitate was the chariots had skulls lashed to the sides. Some of the walking warriors had skulls dangling from their belts.
He saw immediately they were not Cartigians. The Cartigians were a thick set stocky people with low foreheads, thick eyebrow ridges and wide flattened faces. Unbelievably they looked like his people the Lantians. Other than a training base on one of Cartigia’s large islands there were none of his people on this world.
Octavian decided to remain hidden so he dropped down behind a clump of bushes he saw just off to his right. He made sure he was able to watch the group as they moved past. On some of the wagons there were what seemed to be wounded warriors. It looked as though they had recently been in a battle. Some of the wagons had darker haired people tied to them. They were not dressed the same and were all women or children. One of the children fell and was being dragged along by the cart he was tied too. As he struggled to get up one of the warriors turned back; drew a knife, cut the rope and slit the child’s throat. With a kick he pushed the small body into the undergrowth.
While most people’s attention was on this gruesome tableaux Octavian noticed a woman tied to one of the other wagons slip her bonds and dive to the edge of the wood. She hid herself in the same large clump of bushes Octavian was hiding in. He remained still and silent waiting to see what happened next. He could hear her frightened ragged breathing. The group had passed by and were moving away round the far edge of the trees. The woman stood up. She had not noticed the two warriors bringing up the rear. One pulled his long sword just as she turned.
COMING SOON
to a book shop near you!
Don't forget you can read Guardian while you are waiting. Available from this website, Amazon or can be ordered from any bookshop
