Ul’nigic standard date 5829:226.8657
It has been two days since I ran from my nest, my old life. I made a new nest in the outer forest just outside the city. I dug it out on the first day. We Swe’Hen are very good at digging out our homes. Our large znars, with their three large clawed digits, make it very easy.
After I made the traditional three-chambered hovel, I took time to see what I could recover from my server. It was not much; only the encased, shielded storage crystals survived. But without the decryption array, they were useless. So I packed it away. I spent the rest of the day gathering what food and water I could find in the immediate area and started a fungal garden.
Last night, I went back to my old nest. I walked into a scene of horror. There were plasma marks at the front door. Then, the den told a story of violence. The blood of at least two lobe-heads painted the floor. I smiled. My wife defended our home to the very end. The scorch marks around the nursery door told me all I needed to know. I focused on getting my mate’s com and ID chip. I would need it to withdraw money from the central bank. I wanted to take as much with me as I could. To hold on to their memory. But I know I couldn’t. I only grabbed what would fit in a carry bag. On the way back, I had to dodge multiple Ul’nigic patrols. They seemed to be on high alert and questioning every lesser citizen they found.
Today, I went back in through the old city tunnels that once served as the city’s primary thoroughfares. Once inside the new city, I headed straight to the central bank branch near the old nest. But it was crawling with Ul’nigic guards. They were preventing people from withdrawing. Stating that everything was fine. I doubled back to a bar that my friends and I went to. It only served Swe’hen.
Near it was a loan office, and there were UCB self-service machines. But they were down, stating that all banking was to be done at a branch. I gave out a high growl. I didn’t know where I could get untraceable credits. I didn’t want those lobe-heads finding me. Then, it hit me. I could withdraw from the loan office. They would charge a thirty percent fee. But it was better than dealing with the guards.
After getting my money and negotiating the fee down to twenty-two percent, I cautiously made my way to the closest shopping center. I would have preferred the main promenade. But I did not have a vehicle and could not chance a taxi ride.
While keeping to the lesser paths and alleyways, I had to stop several times to avoid the Domestic Police. While hiding behind a compactor, I noticed I had a strong smell of nervousness and fear. I stopped at an apothecary and bought some perfume and galmric so that I could change my patterns when I got back to the hovel. Which was a shame because my patterns were one of the reasons my mate chose me.
The shopping center was sparsely populated. I noticed that scrolling messages replaced the normal news feeds. Instructing people to shelter in place and avoid interacting with humans. The [Swes](URL "Pronounced: Swee-s | Abbreviation of Swe'Hens) I passed by had their ears darting around; some were pinned back. They all tucked their heads in. I applied the perfume, earning distrustful looks from those around me. But I didn’t care.
I headed to several shops where I bought essentials for the hovel. When I went to a computer and repair chain store, I heard yelling overshadowed by squeals of alarm. Swe’Hen's dual voices mixed in with the hollow voices of Ul’nigic. I peeked out of the shop and saw Ul’nigic soldiers in BNIA uniforms and another division I didn’t recognize. They were rounding up Swe’hen and forcing them out of the center.
The clerk called me to come back inside the shop. I did as instructed, and she closed the security door.
“I just got an alert on my com.” She took a moment to read it. “They are forcing Swe’hen into hovers and sending them to something called Servant Reclamation.” She stopped for a moment. Her ears reversed themselves and then moved rapidly. She looked at her com and back at the door.
She continued, “I don’t know what that means for us. But knowing the lobe-heads, it can’t be good. Look, I don’t have time to protect you. So grab what you can carry and let’s get you out the back.” She said with concerned overtones.
She handed me a large storage bag. I quickly grabbed two encryption arrays, a replicator, and every template and power supply I could carry. Then, I followed her out the back of the store. Since she probably knew the complex’s tunnels better than I.
Her larger hen frame filled a good amount of the tunnel. I couldn’t see past her. So I watched her for cues. Her ears flicked about, and her scent gave away her nervousness. We moved through the employee tunnels, avoiding the cameras.
We found several Swe’hen who had the same idea. After a brief exchange, they followed the clerk as we navigated the tunnels, leading deeper into the shopping complex. We were almost in the clear, reaching the old city tunnels. But we ran into a group of soldiers.
They had stationed themselves outside the entrance to the old city tunnels. The group stopped, anxiety filling the air.
“What are…are we going to do?” One of the heen asked.
“I don’t know.” The clerk responded.
“You led us here!” The largest hen said.
“I know!” The clerk responded. Her ears pinned back, the mid-tone of worry coloring her response.
The heen argued for several moments. I turned to one of hendin and said, “We can get out of this, but we need to find a way.” He was a smaller male carrying a child in his dnars. His ears were flat. “I don’t know. My mate will know better than me.” He said.
His scent and body gave away his fear. I turned to the other two hendin, and they had the same body positions. They looked towards their respective heen for answers.
I shook my head and turned to the heen argument. It had not progressed beyond blame. I looked around the corner leading to the doorway. There was a squad of thirteen soldiers. Armed with stunners and contact shields. It would be hard to get past them.
I frantically searched for a way out. Taking in as much information as possible. My hearts raced and my chest and arms flushed. I had never been in this kind of situation. The closest I had come was a mine tunnel collapse. I had to dig my way out.
As I looked for a solution, rubbing my dnars across my chest, the clerk said, “Look, we will need to go back and find another way.” She did her best to control her overtone, but her body gave away that she was unsure. This started another round of arguments, with the largest hen being the most aggressive. I rolled my eyes and continued to look around.
As they argued, the soldiers rotated their formation, and one of their headlamps gleamed off an old drainage hatch. It was behind a metal panel. If one of heen could pry it off, we could get in and slide down to the water retention and drainage system. In the mines, these pipes usually led back to the main tunnels and into a pool where the pump-out system sat.
“Hey,” I said. The heen kept on arguing. I repeated myself. Controlling my volume so that the lobe-heads didn’t hear me. They either ignored me or didn’t hear me over their own voices. I tried again to no avail.
I walked in between the heen and looked up at them. Putting my znars in the air to get their attention. “Hey, there is a drainage hatch we could get to, and it might lead back to the city tunnels.” I said. Trying to make my overtone as confident as I could.
They looked at me. Some with dismissal and others with contempt. I pointed at the hatch. The clerk looked and squinted. Then nodded. “Yes, there is one there. I could pull it off, but it would be a struggle, and it would be in sight of the soldiers.” She said.
“That is a stupid plan.” The largest hen said, and then asked, “Are we really going to listen to this hendin?” While pushing me out of the circle of heen. “I mean, he is small, and his patterns are weak. Sure, he is built like a tree trunk. But that is all he has going for him.” Her overtone turned to dismissal. I scoffed at her. So what that I have a thicker build than most heen. That is thanks to the training I did for my first job as a miner, which I kept up with when I moved into the office.
The clerk turned to the speaking hen. “Don’t give me that high-branch. Just because he is a heen, you dismiss him. Even though he is the only one actually looking for and providing a solution.” She said. The hen snorted and turned away.
The clerk turned to me. “What are you thinking?” She asked.
“Well, the panel is not directly in the soldiers’ line of sight. However, their compound eyes on their stalks will register our movement…We…we need something to distract them. Either a lot of movement or something to pull them away from the door.” I answered, while doing my best to control my overtones.
“I saw a drone shop storage unit a few tunnels back. I’m a drone programmer and operator. I could rig up a few of them to buzz around, keeping them distracted.” The second smallest hen said.
“They have stunners. Won’t that take a drone out in one hit?” I asked.
“Not really, sure it will disrupt a few of the micro-fans. But the drones should be able to take several hits before going down. As long as they are not the cheap toy kind.” She replied.
“We could rig the drones with explosives.” The clerk added. Then, after a moment, asked, “Does anyone know how to make explosives?”
Everyone shook their heads. “I guess that will have to do. We just need them to be confused for long enough for me and one other hen,” pointing at the largest hen who folded her dnars. “To pull the panel off and for us to go into the hatch.” The clerk continued.
We went back and got four large drones and a unified controller. The drone hen programmed them, and then we went back. When we got back to the tunnel split, the soldiers had changed formation again. The Ul’nigic never could sit still in one place for too long.
The hen sent in the drones and started its harassment program. The moment the drones got into the door chamber, the soldiers noticed them and opened fire. Shooting down two of the drones right away. But the other two drones were lithe and built for speed.
The clerk and the hen ran for the hatch. I heard the soldiers shout, “Servants spotted!” I tensed, but the operator sent new commands to the drones, which moved more rapidly. “We have to run!” She said, fear overtones overtaking her words.
The clerk and dismissive hen pulled the panel off and were opening the hatch. But the hatch had corroded shut from disuse. They couldn’t get it open. A stray shot hit the clerk in the left znar at the shoulder. Stunning her.
With little thought, I sprinted over and pulled the handle. It wouldn’t move. I braced myself and pulled with all four arms. My muscles strained as more shots came our way. I relaxed and pulled again and again.
“This isn’t going to work! We need to run!” The dismissive hen said. The pungent scent of fear filled the surrounding area.
“This is the only way out!” I yelled back in frustration. I pulled again and again. Hoping that I hadn’t doomed us with this plan. Then, I heard the drones get shot and a minor explosion when one of the power cells ruptured. The sudden sound startled me, and I pulled too hard. Searing pop and then racing pain overtook my upper right znar. But thankfully, the hatch opened.
We pulled it fully open. I got the clerk into the tunnel. But when I looked back, two of the heendin were lying on the ground, stunned. Their hens trying to get them up. But there was no time. The soldiers were running towards us and firing. I looked at the dismissive hen and said, “We need to go!”
She looked at me and then back at her running mate, with their child in his arms. I repeated myself as I watched her mate get stunned. She let out such a high and low-pitched scream that dust fell from the hatchway. She slammed the hatch shut.
I pounded on it, but it was no use. I could hear the sounds of her fighting the Ul’nigic soldiers. Then a body hit the hatch. Bright scarlet blood peeking around the seal. I closed my eyes for a moment. But I couldn’t linger. I looked down, and the clerk had slid down to the bottom of the tunnel. I looked at the hatch one more time and then climbed my way down.
I didn’t hesitate. I dragged her, following the flow of water to the reclamation pool. It was musty and humid in those tunnels. Swe’hen have a lot of words for musty earth smells. Uc’be’lic is the word I would use. A simplified translation would be ‘foul, gut-wrenching, watery must’. The slick moss and algae caused me to slip a lot. I couldn’t brace myself like normal because of my injury. I fell on the clerk more than once. But I was right; it led to a reclamation pond. The must only grew thicker. I knew that the water was beyond foul and probably full of [Pic’lobric](URL "Pronounced: "Pik-lo-Brik") based on the smell. It’s a parasitic amoeba that eats bodies, live or dead. Leading to a foul bacteria infestation.
I looked around for the ladder and found it. The ladder showed signs of corrosion, but it would hold long enough for us to climb out. When I got the clerk to the ladder, doing my best to avoid the wet spots. I tried to wake her. It took several moments for the stun to wear off.
It took longer than I had liked for her to regain movement in her working limbs. But we got up the ladder. We opened the door to the city tunnel and left as fast as we could. After closing and sealing it, we both fell to the floor. The war flowing out of my body. Replaced with exhaustion and pain. She was still light-limbed from the stunner.
After several quiet moments. The only sounds, that of the tunnel creatures that had made the old city home and dripping water tinning off old pipes. The clerk turned to me. “Thank you. You didn’t have to save me. But did anyway, even though I’m not your mate or even in your warren.” She said.
She said something about my markings and their relation to her markings. Which I will not put in this weave. Because it would give too much away, and if the Ul’nigic find this data, I don’t want them to track me down.
“That does not matter to me. What matters is saving as many as possible from the lobe-heads to keep them out of servitude. So that when the humans win. We can reclaim our homes.” I answered.
“Do you actually think they are going to win? I saw the broadcast from the grand hall. But I doubt they will. Sure, they will disrupt our world and a few more. But they can’t win. No one can.” She pulled in her legs and wrapped herself up in her znars. “The Ul’nigic are too powerful and are everywhere in the galaxy.” She continued.
I left both sets of arms open with their palms up. “I don’t know. But I have hope. They pushed the stalks off their cradle planet within 13 of their years. That is an amazing feat in itself. Then use the admiral to move through space and time to come here and attack. That is miraculous and unheard of. If any species can, they can.” I said.
Silence filled the space between us again. The hunting sounds of Bril’cliks echoed through the tunnels. Followed by the death sound of a holiver. The sounds of footsteps and claw clicks came from our right. Where the tunnel leads to the new city’s center. We both stood up, both a little wobbly on our feet.