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The Valley of Ice: Atsushi Collins
Atsushi trudged alongside the others through the endless valley, wondering how long they had until Commander Savas found them. He’d catch them easily with a snowmobile. Atsushi had expected Rana’s friends to be waiting to rescue her. To save them.
Instead, the star beings were nowhere in sight, and he and his friends were screwed. “We’re completely on our own?” he asked. “You sure? We humans can’t survive long up here.”
Yes, we are alone. But the One In All is always with us.
“Huh?” What gobbly-gook was that? They have a big mother ship or something?
Rana furrowed her brow and tilted her head as if evaluating his sanity. The One In All is the life force, the love that binds all.
It was probably rude, but he couldn’t keep his face from screwing up. Whatever was she talking about? “Sorry, Rana, maybe that’s lost in translation, but love can’t save us from Commander Savas.”
He is scared of Love. It may save us.
Behind them, Girak snorted in laughter.
“Okay.” Atsushi took a deep breath and tried again. “There must be something we can do. You live out here. How do we evade them? Maybe hide somehow until you’re able to Call them?” He turned, scanning the endless black horizon.
We never need to hide from each other.
“You must have some sort of enemies. How do you protect yourselves?” Girak fiddled with his useless gun.
Rana stared at him blankly. We talk to the furred ones. Or put up shields.
“Rana, we need to hide.” Ayanna stepped in front of Rana. “Quickly. You must have ideas. Can you use your powers to dig a cave?”
Powers? Rana scowled. I can’t even Call. I’d never be able to shield. Those pointy things that got me...they messed me up. I still can’t even think right.
This was so not good. Atsushi’s muscles were taut from the cold and the anticipation that at any moment gunfire would rain down upon them. “Wait.” He pointed to where Digga nestled against Rana’s chest. “Can she do anything?”
She eats, sleeps, and digs. Rana stopped to check Digga, and again, Atsushi stumbled. Sorry, Atsushi. I’m used to others reading me as we—
“A trench. Can she dig a trench?” Ayanna excitedly pantomimed the size and shape of a trench.
Maybe? How would that help?
“Well... “Ayanna glanced at him, but he had no idea where she was going with this. “My brother, Bleu, had studied how we could live on the Surface.”
“What?” Girak spun to stare at them. “I taught science. Why did you never ask me anything?”
Atsushi shrugged, unsure whether to be annoyed or honored that Girak assumed they’d share their scheme with him.
“How many kids were planning this?” Girak asked, intrigued.
“Just me and Bleu. And well, Atsushi overheard us.”
Atsushi turned crimson, but the twinkle in her eyes showed only humor, not anger.
Ayanna waggled her hands in impatience. “That’s not the important part. Bleu researched how people used to survive in places like Antarctica. Sometimes, they would dig a trench, put their gear in it, and then cover it to make a roof. Then they took their gear out and the little snow house would hold in their body heat. Maybe if we made a bigger one, we could hide. They’d never expect that, and if we hid our tracks to it...”
“I had no idea...” Girak rubbed his headpiece in bafflement.
“Rana, can Digga do that?” Atsushi’s own headpiece said it had already been two hours, which meant Savas and Zach would be already hunting for them.
“Check your packs. We should have small ice picks for climbing and stuff. If we all work together....” Girak had collected his wits.
Everyone rummaged through their packs while Rana explored and found a somewhat hidden dip near the base of the rising cliffs. This spot may work. But if those rocks are huge under the ice...
“Didn’t you say her claws could go through anything?” Atsushi shifted from leg to leg as the sky lightened.
Yeah... Rana knelt and whispered to Digga in her singsong language, and then set her on the ground. The pup stared at her expectantly with its big brown eyes. Atsushi’s gaze dropped to the sharp fangs protruding below the upper jaw, and the long, lethal claws that had easily sliced through metal.
Not a pet.
Dig, Rana requested.
The furry creature snorted and wriggled in excitement as it plowed into the ice. The pup was unbelievably fast, spinning ice and rock up between her hind legs with such a flurry that they had to step back. Rana kept redirecting her, and soon, they had a trench large enough for the four of them and Digga.
Girak, using the flat edge of an ice pick, swept away their tracks. Ayanna instructed them to put all their gear in the trench, as spread out as possible so its bulk would equal the size of their bodies. Then they covered it up while Rana fed Digga to prevent the enthusiastic pup from digging it back up. But the icy snow wouldn’t pack together.
Rana grimaced at their crunchy mound. We need fresh, wet snow, or it will collapse when you pull your gear out.
“Wet?” Atsushi asked, rummaging through his gear. “I’ve got water. We all should. How quickly will it freeze?”
Rana blew out a long breath and watched it condense and plume about her. We had better hurry.
Atsushi and Girak sprinkled the contents of their water bottles onto the mound.
“No,” Ayanna argued. “We’ll need the water to drink.”
“If her friends don’t find us, we won’t last that long.” As soon as he said it, he realized his mistake. From Ayanna’s expression, he assumed she was calculating Bleu and Neviah’s chances and not liking the odds. “They’ll be okay,” he reassured her, though his tone rang hollow.
Her expression hardened, but she joined them in trying to ice the mound. For once, the bitter cold was on their side. It froze almost immediately.
“I’m making this our entrance.” He opened up a small hole at the end against the cliff to avoid detection.
“Hurry and pull everything out,” Ayanna said, “Put your gear back together in the pack so it doesn’t take up much room. We’ll take it in if it fits.” She eyed the pile of gear and frowned. “Or we can cover it with snow outside.”
“Bleu knew all of this and never mentioned it?” Girak said in awe.
“He’s been obsessed with the Surface his whole life. He always jokes...” Ayanna released a strangled sob. “He joked...” She burst into tears.
Atsushi froze, unsure of how to respond. Did she want a hug? Bleu would have hugged her, but he didn’t want to be like a brother to her. Cautiously, he walked over, and she flung her arms around him.
She sobbed into his shoulder as he folded his arms around her. Despite all her layers, her fruity scent mixed with the tanginess of the Surface air, and he nestled his nose onto her hood.
“It’ll be okay. Look how much he knows. And if I know Neviah, she’s probably got a backpack full of miraculous gadgets.” It sounded pathetic, given all the others that had died on the Surface. There had to be something better he could say. “If they met Rana’s friends and they’re with them...” He peered over Ayanna’s hood at Rana.
Rana nodded. If they found them, they will be safe.
Ayanna raised her head from his chest and looked at Girak.
Girak sighed. “I don’t know. I was climbing in another location, and Commander Savas didn’t exactly fill me in. Someone said they were taken, and that must mean Rana’s friends, right?”
Ayanna nodded, pulled away from Atsushi, and sniffed. She had hugged him. Him. Hugged him.
He resisted whooping in joy. No need making Ayanna think he was insensitive about her brother. Despite the odds against Bleu and Neviah, Atsushi couldn’t believe they were dead. They had to be fine, because he’d met the living cure for Ayanna. If they all survived, maybe they’d have a real date without onions and hostages.
They only needed to survive this.
Suddenly, Rana stiffened. What’s that? She tilted her head.
They all froze, listening.
A moment later, the distant crunching of snow and shouting reached them. Atsushi’s gut leapt into his throat. “Snowmobiles. They’re coming.”