Underground cave system, Dresse, Dresse system
Bache witnessed the look of horror on Zaphir and Malic’s faces, knowing his would be the same, as the true extent of what Kolde had said sank in.
‘You definitely think it was the purrers?’ Zaphir asked.
‘We don’t think anything, we know it was them,’ growled Kolde.
‘Records from that time clearly state the purrers had all their smaller flyers up spraying something into the air above the cities only the day before the plague began,’ said Welt.
‘What was the illness?’ Malic asked.
‘Nobody knows,’ said Geerten. ‘Within a couple of days, society collapsed. Even more died in the rioting, looting and total lawlessness that followed.’
‘It didn’t kill all of them then, some females survived,’ said Zaphir.
‘Remote farming communities mostly, as were we,’ Welt said.
‘There are still lawless gangs roaming even now,’ said Geerten. ‘We still have to remain vigilant and hidden, as you will see.’
He nodded forward as they emerged out of the narrow passage into a much bigger cavern. Light streamed in from above through a natural hole that looked like it was formed millions of rotations ago.
Bache saw trees and large shrubs growing around the edge, miraculously clinging on to the near vertical sides and looking like they could fall in at any moment. It was the architecture below that really surprised him and he noticed the awe on the girls’ faces too as they took in the scene.
An underground wooden city filled the base of the cavern. It must have been at least a kilometre across and in places reached up five of six storeys high. Walkways and decks snaked randomly in all directions, with perfectly carved spiral stairways connecting the levels. He could smell food cooking and heard the distant laughter of children coming from deep within the sprawling structure.
‘I’m impressed,’ he said to Kolde, as they were led across a narrow retractable bridge and onto one of the wooden walkways. Bache looked down as they crossed. A purposely dug trench, thirty feet deep with vertical sides dropped away beneath him.
‘Formidable barrier, Kolde,’ he said.
Kolde nodded as he led them, his expression unchanged. Bache noticed they were beginning to attract attention now, men stopped as they passed, faces of amazement staring at the girls as if they had two heads. Everyone they met outside were males, but he could see the occasional female staring from within the wooden dwellings, their mouths and noses covered.
He tapped Welt on the shoulder and nodded at the homes they were passing.
‘We tested the atmosphere when we arrived and it’s perfectly safe now,’ he said. ‘Your females don’t need to hide and cover up anymore.’
Welt stopped suddenly, turned and glared, his nostrils flaring.
‘It is our culture now,’ he snapped.
‘Ah, right—I understand—very sorry,’ said Bache, holding his hands up in a placatory manner.
Welt continued to stare at Bache for a moment before glancing over at Geerten and Kolde.
‘They weren’t to know, Welt,’ said Geerten. ‘They’re from another world where everything would probably be very different.’
Welt did one of his now familiar nods, turned and carried on marching through the buildings. They had to almost run to keep up.
Turning suddenly right into an open double doorway, Welt led them into a large lobby, stopped in front of an inner door, turned and held up a hand.
‘You will wait here,’ he said, before disappearing through the door.
Bache caught a glimpse of a larger chamber within but little else as the heavy wooden door closed with a thud.
‘Don’t think he’s very happy with what you said,’ said Malic, grimacing as she rubbed her bad arm.
‘He’s been a grumpy bastard recently,’ a voice said through the translator.
Bache turned to find Geerten staring at him.
‘He wasn’t always like that,’ he continued.
‘It’s since his family left,’ said Kolde.
‘Left?’ Zaphir asked.
‘Gone to visit relatives—so he says,’ said Geerten, giving Kolde a look and a shrug.
‘You don’t think that’s true?’ Bache asked.
‘Well, they have been gone a long time,’ admitted Geerten, staring at the floor thoughtfully.
The big door opened again, ending the conversation.
Kolde and Geerten ushered them into a hexagonal room about twenty-five metres across. It reminded Bache of a small town court room, although there wasn’t one judge sitting higher than anyone else. There were ten, all sitting on the top tier of three around the outside of the room. All men, all seemingly elders of the town, with greying beards and scowling deep-lined faces.
Bache noticed the murmuring within the room increased dramatically as soon as Zaphir and Malic appeared. Welt waved them over to a standing area in the centre of the lower level, clearly designed to make you feel inferior.
‘Welt has informed us that you’re alleging to be from a more advanced human society somewhere out in space,’ one of the elders said, his deep voice echoing around the chamber.
Bache stepped forward and addressed the room, turning slowly as he spoke to ensure he got eye contact with all ten.
‘That is correct, gentlemen,’ he said. ‘Our starship will be here within hours to rid your world of the purrers as you call them. We know them as Gatas and they should not be here.’
Bache heard the door open and close behind him as Welt left the chamber.
‘How do you intend to persuade them to leave?’ another asked. ‘They’re the rulers of our galaxy and their technology is extremely advanced.’
‘Did they tell you that?’ exclaimed Zaphir.
The circle of elders sat back in astonishment.
‘Females are forbidden to speak in the chamber,’ the elder boomed. ‘We also find it insulting you have neglected to cover your faces too,’ he added, scowling down at them.
‘Different rules where we come from,’ said Bache, quickly raising his hand to take the attention off Zaphir. ‘Females have equal standing in our culture, she and we meant no disrespect.’
‘So, you’re saying the purrers are not the galactic rulers they claim to be?’ the first elder asked.
‘Far from it,’ said Bache. ‘They’re guilty of a galactic crime just by being here, let alone what they’ve done to your society. Believe me, they will pay for what they’ve done here.’
‘You say your starship will arrive shortly,’ another of the ten said. ‘That’s only one ship—the purrers have built fourteen large warships in the mountains of the Ballenhyght. I don’t know about you, but normally here, if you’re outnumbered fourteen to one, it wouldn’t end well.’
‘You’re just going to have to trust us on that one,’ said Bache. ‘We do have a few tricks up our sleeve.’
Judging by the perplexed expressions they didn’t really understand the last thing Bache had just said.
‘Trust?’ one of them said, questioningly. ‘You see, we trusted an alien race once before. Then two thirds of our civilisation were dead not long after. So, forgive us if we don’t jump up and down with glee.’
‘I understand,’ said Bache. ‘But we really don’t need you to do anything—except perhaps provide us with some form of transport and directions to get to this Ballenhyght region.’
There was a sharp intake of breath from just about everyone in the chamber.
‘You want to go there?’ said the first elder, his eyes wide with astonishment. ‘Are you completely mad?’
‘No one comes back from there alive,’ said another.
‘Legend has it, they have a weapon there that can level whole cities,’ the first elder added, shaking his head.
‘Let me worry about that,’ said Bache.
‘That must be the ground-based laser cannon,’ whispered Zaphir. ‘Which means where we need to get to must be located on the other side of the planet.’
Bache considered this for a moment.
‘How long does it take to get there?’ he asked.
‘The only way is by flyer,’ Kolde said, behind him. ‘You would have to cross that ocean first,’ he added, pointing back towards the coast.
‘Hmm,’ grunted Bache, sucking on his bottom lip and looking at a mark on the floor. ‘Do the purrers have a base on this continent?’ he asked, looking up and staring straight at Kolde.
‘They do,’ he said. ‘That’s how they got here so quickly after you landed.’
‘How far?’
‘Four hours by calloppe—seven on foot.’
‘What’s a calloppe?’
‘Take them and show them,’ said the first elder. ‘Give them three if you have to—just get them away from here so we can’t be punished.’