Reflecting on the Future (Caveman Chronicles)

The Index -|-

Zara sighed and leaned back. The workbench in front of her was littered with parts and pieces. She had collected every known gadget that her Mama had made and sequestered herself away from everyone. for days.

Am I afraid? Perhaps a little. Prudence seems wise at this point, and we are not prepared.

The look on Kiipo’s face was cemented in Zara’s mind. The unemotional, unflappable Xi had been surprised when she had melded with the lutu. Not just surprised but shocked enough to express something. Up until that moment, she had not believed that the Xi knew emotion. She had assumed that they had grown as a people without emotion and perhaps their faces did not even contain the muscles to express what was so common with cavepeople.

I was shocked as well. Though I am clearly something a bit different than the cavepeople, I did not expect the lutu to recognize my touch.

So she had questioned Kiipo quite thoroughly after dragging it in and placing its body under her blue net. The Ganix warriors stood nearby and passively watched the questioning unfold.

Now she knew.

The lutu should have only recognized an authorized Jariit, of which Zara was certainly not one. So yes, of course Kiipo enabled the self-protect mode when it realized that she could actually meld with the lutu. Within thirty seconds of Zara cutting off the lutu’s power, Kiipo’s countenance changed again. It became utterly unemotional, as hard as a stony exterior could become. With coaxing, Zara discovered what she thought was Kiipo’s indescribable fear.

Kiipo had been flummoxed that the self-destruct had been canceled by one who was not Jariit.

“It was not canceled. I severed the power,” Zara had explained.

“No one can sever the aji,” it had stated absolutely.

“I did,” had said Zara matter-of-factly. “Maybe you just aren’t strong enough.”

Kiipo had locked its eyes on her and then after a few, long moments it barely moved its chin upward. “In Xi legend, there are tales of the Ixant who can completely control the aji. I do not believe these legends to be true, and I am not positive that you speak the truth about the severing.”

What ridiculous myths the Xi have, Zara thought.

She had shrugged and retorted, “I don’t know what an Ixant is… or if I am one, but you can believe what you want. I was kind to you, but after what you have done, I will not allow you to be near your lutu.” Then she had walked away and left Kiipo to stew in its thoughts.

When Kpleeb, Zara, and Xir had visited the Ganix village after the attack, there were multiple huts that had been burned to the ground. The pen that had been used to corral the milk-yaks had been shattered and all of the yaks had been dispersed. There were knee-deep pits in the ground where lutu canons had blasted warriors with some kind of energy canon mounted on the lutu.

Thoka had built defenses in advance, and it was clear that they had functioned. The village walls were made of yellow stone and were mostly intact, but the locations of the defensive pods were only smoking craters. In Zara’s mind, that meant the Jariit had targeted the defenses because they posed a threat. It also meant that the Jariit could see the defenses. The lutu had soared directly over the walls and pummeled enemies from above. By examining the wreckage of the other crashed lutus, Zara saw that Thoka had been able to attack the lutu and crash them into the ground with the help of the defenses. Those lutus were physically damaged and some had arm-sized holes in their exterior fuselages.

But Mama died in the process. My weapons need to be stronger. There needs to be more of them and new types as well. Surely, once these Jariit fail to return, the next attack will be much stronger.

Now, Zara looked at her workbench and considered what she had to work with.

Thoka’s stash included what Zara considered to be a rough thruster. It was a ruddy-red ring that worked in concert with Thoka’s spiral bracelet to shove or push enemies away. What she considered to be a sibling of the thruster was a more directed bolt of power that used a green thread to pinpoint the resulting jolt. Another of Thoka’s many tools was a remote air expander that Zara called it an exploder. Zara had heard from Jial that Thoka had used it during the battle with the Xinti at the river village against Chief Kilow’s tribe. Lastly, there was a necklace that amplified the voice and one that magnified vision.

Zara examined each one and reminded herself that these few tools were actually astounding technology compared to what any tribe of cavepeople could wield. Thoka had spent time retraining herself to wield a power she could feel but not see, and the results had created an environment that would enable her to win a battle against most enemies.

Despite that strength against the Xinti, Thoka had been wounded severely and killed when the Xi had arrived. They were clearly a more powerful enemy. Zara leaned against her backrest in the smaller room. She pictured in her mind a dozen or more lutu swarming from the sky, and a horde of Ganix warriors defending. Zara was worried.

Who would win in such a battle? The weapons mounted on the lutu are incredibly powerful, but they can be overcome. They must be overcome, otherwise, the Xi will surely kill me, Da, and all of the Ganix.

Zara knew what she had to do.