The Ice Warrior

Chapter 5

"Follow us," Wir Eis said.

"Where are we going?" Silv asked.

"Our lair. Warmer for human," He explained.

Having only then realized that even under the multiple layers of clothing Silv had been wearing cold managed to get hold of her bare skin, she agreed without hesitation. After all, if they wanted to hurt her, they would have already done it.

Following behind Wir Eis while Sei Eis grudgingly led the way, Silv couldn't help but be jealous at how well-adjusted the two aliens were to the current climate. Their long fur kept most of the cold away, and she wondered whether they were even more similar to polar bears than she thought at first glance.

Funny thing was that polar bears were one of the rare animal species that Silv was familiar with. They were among the rare few who managed to survive the first icy blast and adapt to the new climate.

It was suspected that they could survive not only because thick fur insulates their bodies completely, but also because of the oily coating which keeps moisture out and warmth in. Furthermore, as part of their adaptation, it was noted that they had started sleeping in groups helping each other stay warm.

Their eating habits changed as well, and one way or the other, they managed to survive what turned out deadly for most life on the planet. It was so fascinating that Silv had heard snippets of the polar bear debates since she was a child.

Whether the Eis Neu were similar to the polar bears was something she couldn't help wondering. In her mind, she assessed that whatever their mother planet was, it was probably similarly cold and unhospitable but they seemed well-adjusted. As far as she could tell, they didn't seem to mind the cold at all.

Soon enough, they entered a room filled with more ancient tools and devices than Silv had ever seen. Most of them were so rudimentary that she couldn't even guess what their purpose might have been.

Still, she did see the sign written on the door 'surgery room'. The little knowledge that Silv had about the past was enough to tell her that it wasn't a good room.

The evil glint of sharp tools and the lack of colors only confirmed her previous notion. Everything was glistening white and she couldn't help but find it ironic that it matched the eternal whiteness outside.

"Why here?" She asked.

"Warm." Wir Eis answered.

As he said that, he pointed at the corner of the room from which everything was pushed away, and what appeared to be one huge nest took up most of the space. It was a mess of hair, leaves and old human clothing, but Silv guessed they worked with what they had, and she needed all the warmth she could get if she were to think clearly.

She slowly approached the nest, her eyes asking Wir Eis for permission. When he gestured towards the nest in approval, she went on to snuggle in the strange, yet comfortingly warm place in the middle of the nest.

Sei Eis let out a frustrated growl and left the room without giving the human a second glance. Wir Eis, on the other hand, sat close enough to Silv for her to feel the warmth of his body but not too close to scare her away.

It was clear that he was doing everything in his power to help her warm up so that they could have the conversation he was planning. Odd as it was they needed each other's help. An alien whose ancestor destroyed life as humans knew it, and a human whose ancestors cruelly tortured the alien's species needed to find a way to work together.

"What is it that you need from me?" Silv asked once she felt heat filling her body again.

"We trapped here. Too long. Need to go home. Grandmother needs to know father dead." He said.

"What exactly happened here?" Silv asked.

"Father wanted help humans. Tried to contact. Humans bad. Trapped father, mother, others. Tortured, then forgot, then tortured again. Sister and me not born, but feel mother pain. Hurt, they not care." He said.

Silv was more than disgusted, she wasn't even sure she could listen to more of what had happened. They were not only cruel enough to torture sentient beings but pregnant ones at that. For the first time, Silv felt ashamed of belonging to her species.

"We born. Mother died. Day father died used all power to make winter. Humans all go out, check, die. We free. Found spaceship. Not work. Stay here." He said.

It was such a sad story, and yet all she could feel in the alien's voice was determination. His focus was not on the past but on what's next that needed to be done, and Silv admired that.

Humans often debated the past, tried to find out why everything had gone so badly with the planet. The truth was that knowing didn't make a lot of difference to Silv. She knew that humans were responsible for the downfall of the planet one way or the other.

Learning about what took place was more painful than anything else. It made her question her belief in the innate goodness of humankind and the righteousness of her actions in the past.

"What do you need from me, exactly?" She asked.

"Human technology good now. Need it. Ship need The Ice Warrior to work. Use human technology, maybe can work too." He said.

"What is 'the ice warrior'?" Silv asked.

"Father. The Ice Warrior. Strongest warrior, lot of power. Enough power to start ship. Others small power." Wir Eis said.

"Isn't there anyone who could take his place? Maybe you as his son?" Silv asked.

"The Ice Warrior not born. The Ice Warrior become. Don't know how," he said.

"Alright, then you need me to take the advanced human technology to get your spaceship started so that you can go back home?" Silv asked.

"Yes," Wir Eis said.

"Well, I want to help you but I think I've got myself in a spot of trouble for even learning about this place. The government tried to murder me, so I don't think they will just allow me to go back home and take what I need. They are more likely to kill me." Silv said.

"Go on Wir Eis ship. Something help." He said.

Silv wasn't in the mood to leave the nest which effectively protected her from the harsh weather conditions, but it occurred to her that alien technology was probably very advanced, thus it might enable her to go back home undetected. That way, she could warn her grandmother about Denis and help the aliens finally leave the planet that had them trapped for centuries.

"Alright, lead the way," Silv said.

"If your ship can provide me with adequate technology, I might be able to bypass the security system or at least go in undetected. I have a few ideas on how I can do that, but I need to see what you have in terms of technology first." Silv said.

"Follow me," Wir Eis said.

He was leading her into what seemed to be a basement to Silv's utter amazement. An underground base with a basement sounded like a bit too much to her.

As darkness grew, she couldn't help but wonder if she had made a mistake. Perhaps what the aliens wanted wasn't help but revenge. What better place to do that, then a dark, gloomy basement.