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21
EVE
The Khetar who stepped out of the melting pod was holding a small, black box in one hand, and a pistol in the other.
His eyes locked onto mine, and his mouth hung agape. “M-m-m-Matron Eve?”
I sat up on the sled. Whenever someone called me “Matron” I felt like I was supposed to stand up. I tried to, and with Midwife’s help, I was able to stand up. I held tight to her, because I got light-headed, and the little ones in my were really starting to weigh me down. “We’re…very glad you’re here. What is your name? Is Thuliak nearby?”
“I am Menkor,” he said, holding his chin up high. He hefted the black box. “One warrior in each squad was equipped with a radio.” Now he held up the pistol. “And a smaller, less effective weapon to make up for the extra mass spent on the radio. Is this…” he looked around, narrowing his eyes. Then he looked up. Gold streaks were still dashing across the night sky, but less often than before. “Where is the ski lodge?”
Midwife pointed toward the hill. “You can see it from there. We’re close.”
“Thuliak is our squad leader,” he said, “with luck he’s landing nearby.”
I put a hand over my heart from sheer excitement, and Cleopatra had to help me back down onto the sled, because I could barely stand anymore.
I knew the babies were coming sooner than expected. Over the last few days, I’d felt like they were going to pop out any day now, and the relief I felt when I knew that at least one of their fathers would be with me when it happened was the greatest thing I’d felt in days.
Then I heard the sound of plasma fire and the strangely shrill screams of human men.
Menkor slid back down the slope, then looked at me. “Matron, there is fighting at the lodge.”
Midwife had been right to hold us here. To be cautious. I was so thankful that she’d been here with me, that she’d stood by me and looked out for both of us. I’d have to repay her someday.
Menkor was staring at me. I wasn’t sure why. Then I realized he was waiting formyorders. I was Matron Eve.
I looked to Midwife.
“What?” she said, “don’t ask me!”
“I value your opinion, Midwife Cleopatra. I see two good options, and I’m not sure which to take.”
“What are they?” she asked.
Menkor turned on his radio. Static crackled as he slowly adjusted the knob. He’d said he was the only Khetar in his squad with a radio, so it’s not like he’d be able to get a hold of Thuliak himself, but he’d be able to reach the other squads.
“The first option is we just keep hiding up here. We have Menkor hide here with us so that we aren’t just dead if some pirates stumble onto us.”
“I like this one,” she said.
“Option two,” I said, “is that we send Menkor down to the lodge so he can tell Thuliak where we are. Then the full squad can come up for us.”
“Hmm,” she said, “I do like the part where the whole squad comes up, but I don’t like the—”
A voice crackled on, and Menkor quickly lowered the volume so it was barely audible. We all leaned forward to hear. “...porting from Ginsburg. 23 of us together now. Looking for more. We’ve already killed six hostiles. We’re dropping in from everywhere. They’re in total disarray. We’re slaughtering them!”
Menkor grinned.
“Give your report,” I whispered. “As quietly as you can.”
He nodded and held down a button. “This is Menkor of Squad 1. I’ve landed outside the inner ring, but I’ve located the heavy machinery. Waiting for further orders from High Command.”
“What?” I asked. “What heavy machinery?”
He clicked the radio off. “It’s a code word,” he said. “For you.”
“Heavy…I’m not…” I looked down at my huge belly, weighing me down, and full of Khetar babies. “Okay, I’m heavy. And I guess ‘machinery’ is an Airlock joke?”
