Trial 017 - 2019 Wattys Sci-Fi Winner

Chapter 17 - Amala

So far, Amala had seen eleven different airfields, and so far, eleven of them were busts. She had a simple plan of escape, to secure themselves a vessel capable of interstellar travel, but as far as she was concerned, they were no closer to completing their objective than when they'd first captured their skyhopper. Not a single airfield they'd investigated thus far had had what she was looking for, and she wasn't entirely keen on trying forever, not with their skyhopper's fuel gauge dropping so low.

The twelfth airfield she'd chosen was located on the far edge of the jungle, about where the dense trees gave way to an endless field of red and white grass that stretched as far as the eye could see. Overhead, the twin moons were beginning their nightly retreat to the end of the horizon, chased by the rising sun as it tinted the sky with generous amounts of pink and orange. In the grasses, the floral scents of the jungle were diluted with that of the petrichor of freshly fallen rain and the distinct aroma of what was probably animal excrement or some dead rodent. However, the plains did lack the high humidity of the previous environment, if only because the strong gusts carried it away before the air could grow stifling.

What made this airfield stand out was a matter of two observations. The main complex itself had no distinguishing features from the previous airfields Amala had assessed; it consisted mainly of a quantum communications tower, a small barracks for the officers running it, and a flatter ground floor section that probably housed the common area, storage space and a control center. However, adjoining the main complex was an abnormally large hangar, standing two and a half times larger than all the others Amala had seen before, large enough to house an interstellar ship. The rest of the airfield consisted of an enormous airstrip, wide enough to accommodate her skyhopper at least eight times and longer than a dozen city blocks from her home town. Of all the locations they'd visited before, it stood to reason that a vessel of another kind stood waiting within the hangar.

According to her team's reconnaissance, there were supposed to be six doors leading in and out of the main complex, as well as two emergency exits. The hangar itself was not connected to the complex, although they were only separated by a distance of thirty meters. At the time of their arrival, the morning shift had just come out, wandering about the buildings on either guard patrol or maintenance. Even for a base this large, they were only up against a skeleton crew. Still, in preparation for a quick getaway, Selene had remained with the Krakoshan pilot back in their skyhopper, waiting for Amala's signal.

Behind Amala, the rest of her crew stood waiting anxiously for her to begin their raid. They shifted their weight from foot to foot, shot furtive glances at her, sometimes even paced around. Amala, to her own credit, stood perfectly still, deftly weaving her hair into an intricate braid so that the strong gusts on the prairie wouldn't make a mess out of it. None of her companions would raise a voice of dissent, not even Lian, who was a good four years older. For now, Amala just needed some peace and quiet.

Slowly, she extended her thoughts, feeling for the life teeming around her. Although lacking in formal training, Amala knew enough to empty her mind, searching out the bright sparks in the dark that represented her friends. She had never been particularly gifted, mostly because she did not possess enough strength to do anything more than read minds and probe thoughts, but today all she wanted was to feel the spark of life. Instead, all she felt was a void, dark and empty, a wall of shadow surrounding her own thoughts. Every attempt she made to pierce the void was futile; she could not sense any other thoughts beside her own. The lack of awareness she now felt was alien.

"Amala?" Lian finally asked. "Are we going or not?"

"In a minute."

"Amala, I swear, there are some storming big rats in this meadow. Are we going or not?"