Critical Path

Charlie looked for recognition in this Ben’s eyes, but found none.

“It’s the truth,” Aimee said. “I swear on my own life. Let me explain once we’ve met Hagellan. We don’t have time for this.”

Charlie shoved Ben away, and he scuttled into a dark corner.

“Let me see the other one,” Charlie said, pointing at the other person in a robe who had retreated behind the torches.

“Take off your hood,” Aimee said.

The man slowly peeled it back around his shoulders. Charlie squinted through the flames. Ethan. The young man he’d seen getting his head blown off in Manhattan by Baliska.

“I don’t understand. I’ve seen other crews. They’re not all the same,” Charlie said.

“I’ve been told there’s five different versions of a crew. All replicated and deployed to each farm so no harvesters working an area will have duplicated personnel onboard, in case they meet each other or need to transfer a crew member.”

Charlie bit his lip and shook his head. By seeing the vessel and clones, he had found out more in the last five minutes than the last five years. It made him hate the croatoans even more.

“Come now. We need to get back to Unity before midday,” Aimee said.

She continued through the torchlit cave toward a bright opening. Strange carvings spread around the cave’s wall. Images of croatoans, symbols, one of a ship over Earth and an alien helmet with stars around it.

Aimee led Baliska and Charlie into a tall cavernous area. It wasn’t naturally created; large horizontal scrapes lined the ceiling and walls. A blue carpet led along the center of the smooth rock floor to three chairs at the end. The middle of which looked like a throne. Croatoan containers stacked around the side of the room in neat piles of three. Like the ones Charlie had seen shuttles bring down to a farm when observing through trees. He slowly gazed around the room, open-mouthed. All of this going on underneath the world’s feet while people worried about paying bills…

“This place used to be one of their barracks. There’s a whole cave system down here, with supplies that would last you hundreds of lifetimes,” Aimee said.

Clicks echoed at the end of the room. Baliska walked away and met another large croatoan by the throne, this one wearing tubes up its nostrils, revealing its ugly reptilian face. They held their hands toward each other and touched.

“Is that Hagellan?” Charlie said.

“Yes. He has hundreds of sons. Baliska is one of them.”

Charlie watched as both continued to press their hands against each other while engaging in staccato conversation. Eventually Hagellan sat on the throne and his son perched by his side on a smaller chair.

“Come forward,” Baliska croaked in a rough voice.

“It speaks English?” Charlie whispered.

“He speaks English. It’s not unusual. He’s been around this planet centuries longer than you,” Aimee said.

She hurried along the blue carpet and stopped five yards short of the throne. Charlie stopped a couple of yards behind. He wanted to at least give himself a chance of escape, to run if things turned nasty. Not that he expected to get away.

“You are the human that brought down my ship,” Hagellan said. “You also nearly killed my son.”

“What would you do in my shoes? You can’t expect to invade a place and not come across resistance.”

Hagellan laughed. “You are right, Aimee. He is naïve.”

“Can we discuss the plan?” Aimee said. “We don’t have much time.”

“No. Wait a damned minute,” Charlie said. “We aren’t the ones trying to take out a civilization. What’s so naïve about fighting back? I bet you weren’t laughing when your ship plunged to Earth.”

Hagellan leaned forward, his leather-like blue uniform creaking around his body. “I’ve watched your planet for many centuries. You’re no different to the rest of the galaxy.”

“You’ll have to explain that one to me,” Charlie said.

Aimee turned and glared at him. “We have not come here for history lessons—”

“Let me explain to Charlie Jackson. It might shake him out of his provincial beliefs. Your planet is but a smaller version of what’s happening in the wider universe. On Earth, throughout the centuries, rival factions have fought for territory and resources. Stamping over each other to gain power and possessions. Warfare drives technology, but you are not at the level of advancement where you can take the fight into deep space.”

“You’re using wars on Earth to justify your invasion? Where are all the other aliens if what you say is true?” Charlie said.

Hagellan scratched his head and grunted. “In universal terms, Earth is a backwater, a tiny irrelevant speck in a faraway galaxy. More powerful forces constantly battle for superiority. Earth has so far gone unscathed because of its remote location. Until we captured the transport gate, it wasn’t worth bothering with; you were not a threat but have rich land for farming.”

Charlie scoffed. “Rich land for farming? Is that the real reason you came here?”