They Cannot Scare Me with Their Empty Spaces

Short Story

"Glory to the Thoknar Protectorate!" I shouted.

"Let's see, I'll assign you to G12. The mines there aren't open, yet. There's plenty of wretched scorpials around, making the place unsafe."

"Yes, Sergeant."

"And when you get back, I'll assign you something that's more suited to your talents."

#

Kaza and Rodja drove me to sector G12 in the land bug.

"You going to be okay?" asked Kaza, slapping me on the back.

When I felt the touch of her hard hand, I stepped back. Then I felt guilty because I know that we're all soldiers in the protectorate. I shouldn't feel that there are females and males. So I gave her an enormous swipe on the back which, unfortunately, sent her sprawling into the red-black sand.

"Watch it, Dino," said Rodja in that lazy way of his. That's what they call me sometimes. 'Dino' like a Saurian, because I'm such a good fighter. We all have nicknames. But when Rodja calls me 'Dino,' it's in a nasty way, like I'm less than a Silicate. I guess he was just being protective of Kaza, which he shouldn't have been because we aren't males and females. We're all soldiers of the protectorate. 

"It's fine. Don't fuss." Kaza hauled herself up. She had some good rocks on her from all the months of training. "You take care of yourself, Lat. Bring me back a scorpial claw, eh?"

"Will do."

They climbed back into the bug and drove off in a cloud of choking dust. Then I was on my own, for the first time ever. First I'd been with Ma and Pa. They died in the uprising, and I went to live with Gran in Horde City. After Gran died, I wasn't alone much. You can't get a few feet without bumping into someone in Horde City. And as soon as the elders said we should do what the protectorate wanted, I'd joined up. 

But now I was on my own. The sands stretching endless. The sky a copper bowl. All that space above me felt strange like it was big enough to hold all my thoughts.

But enough of that, I was a doer and not a thinker. I'd get the condenser working, I'd be okay for water. I had a week's rations, but I'd be able to forage soon enough. And once I had killed my first scorpials there's be feast enough for a king. Scorpial meat is a great delicacy. Hardly anyone kills scorpials on account of them being so dangerous, but I had to kill a dozen so there'd be plenty of eating for me. Even though I was supposed to dry out the meat and give it to the protectorate, I wouldn't deny myself a few good meals. I'm not that dumb.

So shelter was the first thing on my itinerary. North, east and west were dunes carved into shapes by the wind. Sand seas Gran called them. To the south was a jumble of mountains, where likely I'd find a cave for my camp. It was heavy going as the rock face was a muddle of eroded sandstone, and large, uneven flakes.  At least there were no large predators here. The scorpials have eaten them all.

In the first cave, I saw a bunch of bones and broken pots, half covered with sand. The cave had once belonged to the native people of Charmed Rock. They were a very savage people.  They fought the Vilicus lava and bone. But they were all dead, now. One wall of the cave was covered in pictures. It made me sad looking at the pictures. They weren't very good.  They were mainly like pictures a youngster would do, or what I would do if someone made me draw something. Just sticks and squares. But I knew a trick.

I switched my wrist light to UV and shone it on the pictures. A whole new layer of paintings appeared, drawn in paint made from Scorpial skin. These new shining pictures were still made of sticks and squares, but they overlapped and made the pictures something more. They were a clever people, but not clever enough to put up with the Vilicus. Now they are all dead. We Silicates are getting on with it without them. Still it made me sad. I decided to look for a different camp.