Beyond the End of the World, Lokians 1

Chapter 10

"Ain't leaving them here like this, Cap," Martinez snipped.

He nodded, and they all worked together to recover whatever bodies were relatively intact; there wasn't much of Becker or some of the Thewls. A silent journey back through the tunnels ensued—an endless slog. When they reached their destination, they climbed out to raging winds and a flurry of snow. Multiple rovers idled as the drivers awaited the crew. Before anyone boarded a vehicle, they piled corpses into one. Finally, they started a return trip for the Explorer.

****

Aboard the vessel, members of Phoenix Crew went straight for the showers. Hot water wasn't enough to wash away nightmarish scenes, which played behind closed eyes. O'Hara still heard screams.

Once docking procedures were announced over speakers, the captain and the agents met with Korit, Weh, and Yew on the Carrier's bridge. Admiral Yew was eager to see what they had recovered. He palmed the canister, looking over the markings. Then, he inspected the ziggurat. He admitted he had no idea what either meant or if they were anything more than knick-knacks.

"We'll attempt to decipher the canister," he sighed. "In the meantime, I'll have my men run tests on the ziggurat." He handed the objects off to his kind. "I truly am sorry you've been personally pulled into this mess, and truthfully, things are only going to get worse."

"Agreed," Weh said. "If we can't locate the travelers then our only option is to unite with your kind and the Yvlekesh."

O'Hara was pensive. "Why not just take that action to begin with?"

"Your government has already kept our meeting a secret, not to mention they have more secrets than you know," he said as he looked over Adams and Franklin. "On top of that, your people would also have to build relations with the Yvlekesh, and we both know how difficult it is to build such relations. Furthermore, the Yvlekesh are not much more advanced than Humans, though they do have some experience in fighting Lokians."

"All-in-all, O'Hara, fighting the Lokians is like trying to solve a puzzle; we must take one piece at a time and find where it fits. Only once we have done our due diligence can we either place that piece or move on to the next one."

"If you'll excuse us, we have reports to file," Franklin started.

"Once we wrap up our reports, we'll be more than happy to answer whatever questions you might have, Captain," Adams added.

O'Hara narrowed his eyes and took a deep breath. He was getting angry. He turned his head and looked over the ambassador, and then the admiral.

"They certainly know more than they reveal," Weh commented.

"Do you think they're dangerous," O'Hara asked.

"There is no doubt they are on our side, but they are clearly not under our control."

"I have reports to file, too, and a crew to check on," O'Hara said and began to walk away.

"Captain," the admiral spoke.

"Yes," he asked over his shoulder.

"An effective leader knows how to remain objective."

O'Hara nodded and exited the bridge.

****

Back on the Explorer, in the mess hall, an overabundance of questions plagued his mind. Something told him Adams and Franklin were waiting for those questions, and without asking, they weren't going to reveal anything, which made him wonder who they really were, what they were doing there, and what connection they had to Lay. Sitting uncomfortably in a Thewlian chair, he observed his alien acquaintances eat.