Shifting Places (Caveman Chronicles)

The Index -|-

“So, you think it’s true?” Kpleeb raised his palms in a shrug. “I just don’t buy into this ancient prophecy crap. It seems impossible. Ridiculous even.”

Zara smiled. “Jial believes that you’re the builder, and so do the other Ganix women. Jial used to tell me these stories when I was a baby, and some of the older women have slowly filled in some pieces… myths and rumors really. Lots of stories about Janaka and the roaming augurs, the ones you and Mama called the death-whites.”

“Xir tried to call me the builder once,” said Kpleeb with a grimace. “I’ll have none of that.”

“Some of the story matches your life, Da.”

“Sure, by coincidence! Anyway, would that make you ‘the seed?’ Meh. it just seems so far-fetched, and we weren’t there for most of the story. If it’s about us, there are only a few lines of the prophecy left.” He huffed with irritation. “Just because these jerks stole me away and now, I want to get some revenge doesn’t mean I am the builder. It’s just a similar story, although I do like the last line about the foundation of an empire crumbling… unless it’s my empire.”

“What empire?” Zara said with a laugh. “I don’t suppose it matters whether or not you’re the builder.”

Kpleeb grinned. “It doesn’t. They’ve harmed me and I mean to pay them back. Simple as that.” He stood and cracked his back. “Anyway, when will the Greki be ready to fly again?”

Zara took a sip from a stone cup. “Soon…? I made sure it was empty of any hidden Xi, and Tiirw and I altered its ability to communicate with the First Terminal. We moved it closer to the village, but now I am working on a way to let the Ganix serve as crew on the Greki. I have three Xi and two ships. I need trained Ganix and all of the devices to help them use the ship.” Zara sighed. “I guess it will take more time.”

“How much time do we have left? Don’t the Xi know that we are here?”

“Yes. Tiirw has warned me several times that they will likely send another ship. I suspect they will come with greater force. I am working as fast as I can.”

Kpleeb nodded thoughtfully. “My defenders are savvier now that you’re here, but they may not be enough. The Xi are fools if they have had three rebellions on Phaedro and they have not chosen to come and kill us once and for all.”

“The Xi empire is vast. It is so large, that I cannot really imagine it. Also, the Xih are secretive and everything about the Greki and the Hsstak was shrouded in shadows. That may cause some confusion, and maybe it will give us extra time.”

“Maybe,” said Kpleeb thoughtfully. “What if we moved?”

Zara’s face scrunched up. “They will see us from orbit. I don’t think we could lose them that easily.”

“I mean, move to another orb.” Kpleeb gestured toward the door. “We pick up everything and move everyone. Surely, they would not find us.”

“That might work,” said Zara thoughtfully. “Kanta and I will look for a suitable planet. That may take time as well.”

“My gut feeling is that we don’t have a lot of time,” said Kpleeb. “I will prepare a booby-trap for the Xi when they come here.” Kpleeb grinned evilly. “But first, I will ask the Ganix to prepare themselves and their small ones for the journey.”

###

Kpleeb stood in the open hatch on the Greki and gazed at the village. It was empty. The huts stood barren and lifeless in a way that he had never seen. The ship below him shuddered very slightly and the air outside quivered in a faint purr that expanded into a whine. The ground below him began to recede, and an indicator on the wall next to his brace-hand glowed red.”

He stepped back as the hatch closed, finally turning and entering a white hallway. Xir stood there waiting for him.

“Five days.” Xir said solemnly. He said everything solemnly as did all Ganix warriors.

Kpleeb sensed a mood, or at least an abnormal seriousness in Xir. It was to be expected. Not often did they move. Even less often did anyone move from their orb to another. Zara had told him that the trip would take five days, and her description of the speed at which the Greki moved defied logic, even to his enhanced caveman brain.

###

She had converted the speed into terms that applied to the tundra. “Imagine a yak running from here to the mouth of the canyon.” She had pointed generally toward the steep river canyon that he had discovered with Thoka so long ago. “Now, at a normal speed (let’s call that 1-yak-speed), Xir thinks the yak would be there in about six hours.”

Kpleeb had nodded, but inside he had been confused.

Zara continued. “The Hsstak travels fast. I did some rough math with Tiirw’s help and I think the maximum speed is around, uh fifty-nine thousand yak-speed.” She winced and shrugged.

“Fifty-nine thousand yak-speed,” Kpleeb had exclaimed. “What does that even mean?”

“The yak would arrive at the canyon mouth in less than half a second.”

After a long moment, Kpleeb’s gaping mouth had closed. “Urgh, that’s fast. Very fast. Its poor legs!”

###

Now, as the village disappeared into the clouds below, Kpleeb sat down in the room he shared with Xir. After a few long moments, he leaned back into one of the sleeping cocoons.

[I hope five days is far enough away.] His eyes became heavy, and he yawned expansively. [I hope my boobytrap will kill so many Xi.]