121 – Town Meetings

  Steven paused and looked at the tracker that hung around his neck the spot for Alex was bright and near the top/center, and oriented off to Steven’s left. He put it back within his jacket. Sucking up his courage and taking faith that he had gotten this far and was meant to get his son back, Steven stood up and marched down the trail.

  Very quickly the handful of beings noticed him. As he approached, their shapes in the dim light resolved into that of five men conversing amongst themselves. However, Steven did not hear any voices. Steven felt two something’s pass by that raised the hair on the back of his neck.

  His hand wanted to go for his sword, but that was both out of Steven’s current character, and five on one was not a good bet. His gun behind his right hip briefly suggested it self, and was just as quickly passed. Steven realized that he was marching to an old boot camp chant as it filled his head. All thoughts of battle dropped as quick as they had appeared.

  -Who are you, and what do you want?-

  This entered Steven’s thoughts and he realized that it felt familiar, but he suddenly could not remember the other person who had done that. As for this voice, it seamed to strike the same vibe as a sergeant standing guard. Board, in charge, ready to defend his people.

  “I am Steven Caplan, come to retrieve my kidnapped son, Alexander Caplan. He was kidnapped from our home planet at the order of the monarchs of Krogg and sent here.” Steven stopped at seven paces from the group who were all looking at him. They spread out a bit from each other as Steven stood.

  Steven watched as their heads moved back and forth a bit, apparently in silent conversation.

  -Who told you to come here?-

  Steven paused, and could almost see a figure in his minds eye, but there were no distinct features to latch on to. “Umm. . .”

  -I see. Your informant has blocked himself from your memory. Why come this way, instead of from the main highway?-

  “So as to get directly here, and not loose my way. I am not in my normal element here, being an off-planet sun-lander. Once I have my son with, we will depart to the main highway and return to the surface.” Steven briefly wondered about the term ‘sun-lander’ but did not dwell on it.

  The men communicated a bit more. Two of the five stepped forward to Steven.

  -We will take you into our village. Any hostility will be met with violence.-

  One of two started up the side path of the cavern and up the trail that followed the flow of water here. Steven was motioned to follow, and did so, the second falling in line behind him. The other three stayed behind, evidently returning to whatever conversation they had been having.

  The roof of the cavern quickly curved down to where Steven could reach up and touch it over his head. The river that occupied the majority of the tunnel was flowing toward the lake. The trail was carved into the rock above the level of the water, and ran almost straight while the small river wound back and forth in its bed. The walls and other surfaces were intermittently covered with the same luminous lichen or moss or whatever it really was, providing enough light to see by. After a short time of hiking, the cavern brightened and they passed through an archway into a larger chamber. A water wheel dominated what he could identify; the sounds were of ordered cacophony, the air a slight warm breeze with an earthy scent. But he was not given time to examine anything as he was ushered past. A second chamber had other things going on, with another water wheel. This sounded like a workshop of some kind, was warmer with a stronger breeze, and the smell of industry.

  Finally he was led up a passage into another chamber, leaving the river behind and below. Here he could see he was brought into a more domestic setting. The luminous lichen was on many surfaces, an a few additional non-fire light sources were scattered about. The air was cooler than the industrial areas, with a bit more of a stale fug to it. The overall impression was of a town, within an irregularly pillared cathedral; it briefly reminded Steven of Veradale, with large irregularly placed pillars and arches supporting the roof above as the structures at this level were carved partially or wholly into the native rock, masonry filling in where the carving left off. As Steven considered, he noticed that the ground did not seem to have a level spot anywhere.

  The light was enough to make out general forms and lines. Steven and his two escorts were walking in an undulating avenue between single and double story structures. Stairs leading up and down to the entries.

  ‘Is nothing on a single level?’ Steven though to himself.

  -Why should it be?- came an unexpected response. -We can easily make flat surfaces at need. But when the rock itself rises and falls, why not build to meet the best part of the surface?-

  Steven listened to this for a brief moment, before turning to glance toward the native behind him. He was beginning to figure that for the most part he had been communicating with only this one of the locals.

  The community appeared to be an orderly pattern on an approximate grid, but the overall area was large enough and the ambient light dim enough that Steven could not begin to get a sense of how big, or how spread out. The roof above was of uncertain distance and completely devoid of light as the luminous lichen did not seem to spread easily on that surface. The deeper into the community they traveled, the more locals they encountered. Most of it seemed to be the daily domestic maintenance of a normal community. But Steven was ushered along quickly enough he could not linger on the dimly lit details.

  Steven figured he was escorted most of a mile before turning a corner, traveling another considerable distance, and being brought to a stop in a square. This looked to be a central meeting place or typical town square, with the main roads of the town converging here. There was a medium sized gathering of people here, with several men and women at the center to meet him. It looked like the usual dress of the locals was a top and trousers of some kind.

  -Who is this? What is his business in Kadomu?-

  -He says he is the father of the boy placed among us. He addressed the boy by name.-

  Steven could hear the conversation with his mind, but did not have specific ideas of who all the sources of the thoughts were. They almost had different voices, but Steven figured that he did not have the expertise to tell for sure.

  Steven began to speak. “I am— ”

  He was interrupted. -Yes. Steven Caplan. We can read it faster than you can say it. Let’s see if this boy knows you.-

  Some of them turned as others approached. Steven felt a little left out of the conversation.

  Steven asked to anyone who was listening. “Do any of you speak, or do you just think to each other?”

  The man at his left replied, and Steven confirmed this was the one who had been primarily addressing him. “Mostly we think to each other. The family with custody of your son does not want to give him up. They are childless, and none are available to foster.”

  Shortly a couple marched up in an escort, with Alex between them. Each had a hand on one of his shoulders.

  “Release the boy, and let him speak freely.” This came from who Steven gathered was the leader of this part of the community.

  -It is not for us to keep the man’s child from him.- This came from elsewhere, but Steven could not begin to identify the source.

  Grudgingly the couple did so and the escort took the couple back one step, as an escort stayed with Alex.

  Steven realized that most of the adults in this community he had seen wore short swords at their belts. Many of the young adults did also. Alex had one at his belt. It was almost as long as his leg.

  The Leader spoke. “Boy. This man claims to be your father. Do you recognize him?”

  Alex looked around, then at Steven. “Where’s mom?”

  Steven answered. “Your mother, Roxanne, is after your sister Diana.”

  Alex continued through the safety questions that Steven had taught Alex and Diana to use when he was not sure who to go with. “What was her last car?”

  Steven thought he could feel some kind of scan on his mind as he answered. “A Camero. 1968, rebuilt completely by her.” For a moment the image of it flashed through his mind.

  Alex started forward. “He is my father.”

  Steven knelt and Alex all but jumped into his embrace as the couple behind him tried to reach for him.

  Hands grabbed Steven from behind and pulled him over, and after a moment pulled him back to his feet as best they could for being an average of a foot shorter than he was. In all this, he still held Alex with his left arm, his right going around for his sword handle. The sounds of battle beginning followed Steven as he was carried quickly in to the dimness.

  -No time for you to fight. Come!-

  Before very far Steven was let go of and regained his balance and footing; he put Alex down, keeping his hand, and they were almost jogged out of the square and down a road. a group of locals surrounded Steven and Alex. The one who had first encountered Steven was still with him, and spoke to Steven as the rest looked for any kind of fight to come in this direction.

  -Go. Take your son and get out.-

  A man from the group handed Steven a scroll, about a foot long and two inches around. “Here, take this for later.”

  “Don’t give him that.” Another woman protested.

  “Yes. They can’t read it.” The man holding the scroll touched Alex’s head for a moment. “In time he will be able to.”

  The woman looked at Alex. “So be it. Share that with no one, boy.”

  Steven could hear the noise of a brawl behind him. They turned a corner, went down an alley, and then were led out into another road.

  The escort of a half dozen locals took them to what Steven figured was the edge of the town, where a large tunnel fronted to the road. A woman from the escort spoke to them, putting her hand on Steven’s forehead. “This will lead you back to the main way to the surface, sun-lander. Go quickly; we will see that you are not followed. May your thoughts be your own.”

  Steven felt a burst of information fill his mind as to the path to take and which way out of the rift, once he got to it. The woman withdrew her hand and gently turned Steven and he regained his equilibrium.

  Steven kept Alex’s hand and they trotted a ways into this dark tunnel. Soon the luminescent lichen and the humidity from the water returned. At another cavern a quad of guards pointed them into another tunnel. This cavern was strange to Steven as it smelled of wood, and growing plants. Alex led, as he could more easily see what was around them. As Steven paced the trail, he found he was surrounded by what he gathered were trees. The growth ended as they left the cavern for the next tunnel.