The price (a short story)

The Price

The bodies were everywhere. They piled up in the crumbled streets of the broken cities. The gutters and sewers filled with a thick red liquid that slowly seeped into the darkness. A
putrid stench of stale flesh wafted through the dust filled air. Glowing spacecraft swept the decimated landscape, playing a metallic hum over the last remaining people that hid underground and in shadowed alleys.

Mira sat in a dank slimy tunnel where the rest of her people had set up a camp with the belongings they carried. It is the year of 2222. It is 20 years since the Pures, had come to Earth, destroyed cities, and tortured humans. Earth had been caught off guard after the fourth world war had ended with the disposal of nearly all bombs, leaving the planet virtually defenseless against the superior alien attacks. Mira, now 25, was 5 years old at the time of the great destruction. She had watched her mother be crushed by a building and her father was taken a few years ago by the
Pures.

There had been a sighting of another band of people who had survived and Mira’s father volunteered to scout and invite them to join. He never came back. But that was when Brack, her very best friend, had joined the survivors. He was in that second group Mira’s father had lost his life locating.

Everyone had their share of losses. That was the price of survival. Brack lost his dad in the first year and his mom was suffering from sickness, but he had been a friend and companion to Mira when she most needed one. She had often hoped that one day, if their lives weren’t in constant danger, they would get married.

“There has been a report,” said Aaoi (A-O-E), a respected leader among the remaining. “An unknown technology was detected toward the north side.” This caused a wave of uneasiness to ripple through the small crowd gathered.

“Does that mean the Pures are searching again? Do we need to run? Have they created some new device that will track us?” A dark haired boy exclaimed in alarm.

“Don’t be an idiot Coe. We aren’t leaving until we are sure of an attack.” Brack reasoned. The group moved into a sort of circle, it being clear that a discussion was to be held.

“It isn’t a power signature that we have ever encountered before,” Explained Aaoi, “the PS (Portable Supercomputer) showed stats that are off the charts.” Just then a teenage girl ran in from the tunnel off to the north. Wheezing, and out of breath, she delivered her message.

“It’s here!”

Never has two words instilled so much dread into a group of people. In a flurry of panic, the humans rushed to pack what they could and carry each other to the south exit, but no one made it
a step before the glowing square entered.

“Hello.” said the square. The company froze in unified confusion. “I am sorry that we haven’t been able to offer our assistance sooner.”

“We?” Brack bravely asked.

“Yes, I am a Zavine. I am controlling this drone remotely to give you a message and a way off the planet.” Brack and Mira exchanged a mystified glance.

“How did you find us, and why should we trust you?” Asked Aaoi with obvious doubt.

“We have much more advanced detection technology than either you or the so called Pure Evils, and as for why you should trust us, the Pures are going to initiate the final step in harvesting this planet’s resources. We have been tracking down this rather annoying invasive species for a while now and just recently stumbled across your situation. However, our military units are at
least half a light year away and won’t stop the Pures before your planet is destroyed.” The semi- mechanical voice paused to let the information sink in.

“So what’s the good news then?” Mira questioned after a moment of silence.

“We can provide you with a shuttle to avoid certain death and then return here after your planet is rebuilt.” As the cube said this, a small rectangular chunk dropped off and floated its way to Mira. It displayed a glowing screen with a map. “The blue dot is the shuttle and the red is where you are. You have exactly two hours from now before the spaceship will leave, which is displayed on the timer. We will distract the Pures so you can get there easier. It is your choice if you wished to be saved, goodbye for now.” The glowing square whizzed back the way it came.

The survivors erupted with conversations and shouts of amazement and fear. The meeting reassembled for ten minutes before deciding to go for the shuttle, because very few places could be worse than the horrible one they were in.

“Pack up,” Announced Aaoi, “for all who wish to come will leave the planet.”

Everyone was walking out within ten minutes. Mira helped Brack carry his hobbling mother while leading the way with the miniature GPS. The group walked for at least an hour and a half without trouble and was in sight of a cilander sized ship when disaster struck. Lazer and plasmz blasts shot plumes of rubble into the air as a Pure’s spacecraft fired shots.

“Keep going!” Yelled Mira as the air became coated with dust, “The shuttle is just ahead!” Brack let go of his mother and went back to help people that were shot at get back on their feet if possible. Mira made it to the shuttle and left the sick woman in the ship as she went back for any others. Another barrage of projectiles blasted around the site, hitting a building that was only partially crumbled and causing a small avalanche of rubble.

Mira heard cries of pain and as the dust settled she saw the last few stragglers coughing their way to the ship.

"Brack!" Mira shouted in a frantic voice holding onto the entrance frame. "Brack, where are you!?" She looked out to the building wreckage. Brack lay partially down, waving his arms frantically. His leg had been pinned by a heavy beam when the building collapsed.

Mira looked down at the timer. No, that couldn’t be right. A single minute displayed on the small screen and time seemed to crawl at that realization. Franticly she looked out towards her partner, measuring the distance between the shuttle and where Brack lay. Mira knew she wouldn’t have enough time to save him and get back to the shuttle.

All she had was a single agonizing choice, to stay in the shuttle with her people and life, or to go out towards the love of her life and certain death. Mira took a breath and ran in her chosen direction, willing to pay the price.

~~~ The End ◆◆◆