Arynthe's Story

Empty battle cries

14 br. 

It was night, but I could not sleep. I stared blankly at the wall and let my finger slide over my stomach: right over the edge of the anteron layer. According to doctor Sioro, it wouldn't take much longer until the right side of my body grew anteron too. 

I felt the difference: my white skin was soft, warm and a little sticky, but my anteron was hard, strong and smooth. I liked the feel of it. It was the feel of adulthood. Since I was 8 years old now, I was only a year away. 

Suddenly I heard a wailing cry outside.

"ALIENS! ALIENS IN THE SKY!"

I nearly hit the ceiling as I jumped up. Out of my window I saw a blinding light. The ground shook and at the same time a loud crash sounded, followed by an enormous bang. It happened too quickly to even realize I was in danger. Outside the streets had gone from complete emptiness to crowded chaos in a matter of seconds.

My door was slammed open by my father. 

"Alien attack," he reported as he picked me up and carried me out. "We have to get to the escape pods as soon as we can."
"Aren't we going to fight them?" I asked.
My father laughed. "With what weapons?"

He said no more and carried me through the panic-filled streets. Behind us I heard the quick footsteps of my mother. Around us I saw some of the weaker houses slowly melting. I felt the heat glow on my unprotected skin. I felt remarkably calm for the moment, safe in my father's arms. It was as if I had gone through this a thousand times before. 

Another flare of light tore the darkness. My father struggled to keep his balance, but he didn't fall. My mother let out a soft cry of despair. 

"Our home..." she sobbed. 
"It was time to move out anyway," my father replied. He kicked the hatch to the space base open with his bare foot and rushed to the first escape pod. It was easily reachable, because in case of emergency it had to be. 

Outside I heard someone commanding something. Some people replied with a hollow battle cry. It sounded so empty it could as well have been a lie, like they weren't motivated at all to defend their lives. Like they'd rather sit on the couch waiting until they died. 

My mother turned around doubtfully. "Are you sure we shouldn't help them defend the planet?"
"Absolutely," my father said, taking place in the pilot's chair. "Since the first bomb was dropped, the planet was lost. The radiation will make it uninhabitable." He started the engines. "We have to leave as soon as we can."

I slid off my father's lap and hopped into the co-pilot's chair. That was my chair. The screen was a bit smaller and simpler than I was used to, but it worked.

"There are people entering the hall," I reported. Playing spacecraft had gone real. "I recommend taking off carefully."
"Understood," my father replied. "Call the base master. If they don't open the gates we'll have to slam them."
I put the headset on my head and called the base master. 
"Channel open," said a robotic female voice. "Space base A, CBM. Come in." 
CBM. The trouble had started.
"Escape-pods-departing," I said as clearly as I could. "Please-open-space-gates."
"Cannot open space gates. You are not authorized," the CBM said emotionlessly, and she broke the connection.
"Not authorized," I repeated, and sighed. "I hate CBMs."

My father smiled amusedly. He lifted the pod and positioned it in front of the gate. I folded my arms over my head and braced for impact, even before my father commanded us to do so. 

The shock was indescribable. Everything shook. It felt like every cell in my body was getting squeezed, then stretched and then released, at a different speed. Meanwhile my father flew off the chair and clattered against the metal wall. 

When the shaking was over I looked up carefully at the screen. "The hull is undamaged," I reported, "and we passed the gates." 

My father simply jumped back into his chair and flew us out of the dying planet.