In A Universe Without Stars 1: Skyeater (38 page)

He
sits back on the couch and flips through the channels. Thora’s cries becoming
only a slight annoyance. Caer watches the night away.

…

Bermea
sits at the top of the hill, Kelly lies on him and he strokes her hair. The
place is closed. Nothing too eventful happened except for the little Serephin kids
tapping on the glass and making faces.

Janitors
and other workers walk by. He can see everybody except for Axe, seems like the
big burly guy has escaped.

Maybe
he was right. Maybe Bermea was a fool, believing in a being that killed his
people. He looks around some more. Everybody is getting along and it’s
peaceful. But he doesn’t mind staying here, if what Sherif said was true. That
nothing will happen to them and that their safe.

Bermea
has been around long enough to know he shouldn’t trust a soul, but that guy had
a trustworthy air to him. But not seeing Axe worries him, maybe he should’ve at
least helped them, even if he didn’t want to leave himself.

The
whole place dings. Kelly jumps up and nearly falls down the hill. Still half asleep
and delusional. Bermea still sits.

“What
was that?” she says sleepily. She wipes the sleep from her eyes.

“I
don’t know.” He gets to his feet.

Everybody
is crowding around a large black monolith like box. Bermea and Kelly run down
the hill and into the crowd. They push themselves to the front.

It’s
a docking bay for tablets. There are twenty tablets in the hole in the middle
of the black box.

“This
is a present for a first day well done,” a prerecorded message from Sherif
says. “I have presents to give tenants from time to time, to suppress boredom
and for being a great exhibit. This is for both. Have fun.”

Bermea
grabs one, it’s a thirteen-inch tablet. Inside of the bay is a charging
station. He turns it on, Kelly watches it from his side.

It
loads up like a computer and the words
Starserver
show up. “Welcome to the
Starserver
, the server for
all your entertainment needs,” the device states. A list shows up. Programming,
Individual shows and movies, games, music, and info box are all categories on
the list.

“The
Starserver
have prowled all of your planets video and
audio entertainment recordings and uploaded them. We have every show, movie,
music, and game from your planet. And when you bore of your own species we have
many
many
others including Serephin and the SE6
galaxies productions translated into your language. Courtesy of Sherif and the
Skyeater broadcaster company,” The device states.

“Wow,
it’s like Netflix but better!” Bermea says. This is really the best place to
be. Kelly grabs it from him and starts to rummage through it.

“It
really does have everything.”

Someone
screams behind him. A woman points to the hilltop. Axe is strung up by
invincible strings over them. Entails hanging out from his stomach.

Kelly
drops the tablet and hurls on it.

“Oh
god,” she mutters with her hand over her mouth. Everybody stares up in shock.

“This
human, Axe, has attempted to escape,” a voice says from behind them. They all
turn to see Sherif standing in front of their cage.

“We
aren’t savages, well, most of us aren’t. I provided for you, I gave you a home,
I tried to keep you the happiest I can and yet you dare try and escape!” He
shakes, he’s hurt.

Bermea
turns and walks toward the food area. What can they say to a being that can
kill them instantly? It’s either sorry or nothing at all but they don’t know
what he’s going to do to them.

“Did
you not think that I wouldn’t hear you planning to escape, you think you could
live in the sewers like some rat, like
animals!
I
thought you humans were much like us and wouldn’t want to live in filth, when
you can live in a much greater place. You should know when you have a good
thing!”

Bermea
returned with a few towels and helps Kelly clean herself up. He’s not going to
plead for forgiveness, if Sherif was going to do something he would’ve done it
already.

Blood
drips down Axe’s legs. Sharif stares at Axe for more than a couple of seconds.
The awkward silence confuses the humans in the cage.

“I’m
sorry I scared you like this,” Sherif says. He puts his hands behind his back.
He calms down.

“To
claim that I’m not a savage when I killed this man out of anger. Ha,” Sherif
laughs. “We are not so different. It’s my fault for never fully briefing you on
your situation. If I did then nobody would’ve been as foolish as to try to
escape.”

Sherif
starts to pace. “Try to think as yourselves as method actors, you just do your
normal human things and
act
good for the visitors and think of it as
your pay for your rent to stay here. That’s all you have to do and I’ll do my
best to provide for you all.”

“Before
I realized what I was doing he was already dead, before I calmed down I decided
to use him as an example. How stupid of me. Even if you do try to escape again.
I promise I won’t harm or impede you, just know that being in your enclosure is
far better than being outside in the streets.” They all just watch him.

“Now
let me show you the greatest wonder in the universe.” He pushes the glass and a
door opens.

“Come
on don’t be shy.” He motions them to follow him. They all exit the enclosure,
the cold floor tingling on their feet.

Bermea
holds Kelly as they walk down the hallway. The other beasts are sleeping, and
some are just watching them pass. They come up to a giant door. Above it are
the words,
The Greatest Wonder in the Universe.

“Welcome
to the greatest place in the universe.” Sherif motions toward the door. It
opens and a great white light shines out. Bermea and Kelly stare into the
doorway, light blinding their vision.

Their
eyes stare in awe.

…

It
is a few hours later, Bermea lies in a thicket of trees on his sleeping pad. He
stares up through the trees. The aquarium above projects a virtual night sky.
Fake stars light up the night. Shooting stars fly through his vision.

It
really was the greatest thing he’s seen, he’s still in a loss of words. When
they got back. Axe was gone and his mess was clean, but it’s going to be a
while before he’s going to go back up on the hilltop.

Someone
walks into the trees.

“Bermea,”
Kelly whispers.

“Yes.”

She
walks toward him, it’s too dark to see her face. “Can I sleep over here
tonight?”

He
notices she doesn’t have her sleeping pad with her.

“Sure.”

She
moves closer and he notices she’s been crying.

“What’s
wrong?” She doesn’t answer.

“Tell
me,” he asks again.

“It’s
just…” She trails off. She suddenly clutches him and starts to cry.

“He
killed him.” She wails. “His body was…” She grabs harder.

“It’s
going to be okay. I think we can trust Sherif from now on.” If not then at
least he’s just seen the greatest thing he’s ever imagined.

“I’m
so glad you’re here. If you weren’t I don’t know what I would do.”

“I—
“ His
words are cut off as she kisses him on the lips. He
pushes her off.

“No.
Not like this. You’re not thinking right.”

“I’ve
thought long about this and I’ve wanted this for a long time.” She moves back
closer. “Seeing you here, I knew I was always supposed to be with you, I never
forgot about you after college.”

She
kisses him again, this doesn’t feel right to him, but he doesn’t push her off.
He’s always loved her, is this time actually right?

He
falls on the sleeping pad and kisses her back.

…

It’s
an hour later, Kelly sleeps on top of him. They’re under a cover. This sleeping
pad is an amazing piece of technology, more so than the other things. It expanded
for two people and its rubbery material can stretch into a cotton-like cover
while keeping the same kind of support and has inflatable pillows.

He
stares up into the sky and looks at the fake stars, he can still see the fish shadows
swimming over them as the top of the dome slowly spins. It looks amazing.

There’s
a knocking voice in the back of his head that tells him that this is wrong. He
ponders on it as he strokes Kelly’s hair. She sleeps soundly, drooling a little
bit on him.

Usually
he would wake a girl up if she started doing that but this moment is too
perfect, he’s too content and she looks too perfect to move.

Maybe
this place isn’t that great but he’s content with it and that’s all he ever
needs to live. He’s not scared of the future nor afraid of the aliens ruling
over him. Sherif shown him that their not all savages. Some might even like
them.

On
second thought, this place isn’t as bad as everyone else thought.

If
he’s content then this place is perfect.

…

In
a large underground area somewhere deep in the Skyeater, an uneasy silence is
in the air. The food department of the Skyeater. Workers work in
a
underground bay, moving containers of food, the bay is
extremely large, multiple trailer like buildings and bays occupy it.

In
an unmarked storage building, the floor pools with blood. Blood dripping from
the conveyor belts above. Humans.

Thousands
of them, hung and disemboweled like cattle.

Hanging
lifeless.

…

On
Earth, Reese runs down a field road. Only a few more miles to his safe house. A
bunker his parents built during the cold war. The crystal sky still
looms
over him. Behind him, a Cell zooms toward him.
It’s been tracking him for a while. He fires Julio’s gun at it. The bullets
rips through the Cell and it crashes and explodes into the corn field next to
him. 

He
kneels to catch his breath, he’s almost there. He’s almost free. That was the
third one he killed
and
he’s going to
eventually run out of ammo. He’s been walking through open grazing fields for a
long time. The worst thing he can do for trying not to be seen. But the road is
no better.

He
has to do it.

He
can see the skies horizon
,
only a few miles
away. The Skyeater is moving toward the Atlantic Ocean. The harsh red crystal
creates a hard contrast with the baby blue sky. The clouds swirl in a vortex
toward the Skyeaters opening.

With
only a few more miles and he can see the sky again.

The
Serephin night doesn’t rest. The Skyeater city still bustles, moving like a bee
hive. Always busy, always have somewhere to go and something to do, j
ust
like New York City.

Noata
lies on a rooftop, against a vent, staring into the sky. It seems like they are
too small to notice. Or too insignificant for them to care. Lance and Serena
lie on each other, kissing behind an air conditioning unit.

Wilker
walks up to him.

“Looks
like I’m sleeping here tonight,” he says. “They need their personal time alone.
On the last night of their lives.”

“Are
you ever not negative?” Noata asks him. Wilker sits beside him and stretches
out his limbs on the vents.

“I
only speak in truths, if the truth just so happens to be detrimental, then that
is your problem.”

Noata
laughs.

“I’ve
seen you sarcastically lie more times on this rooftop alone than you have told
the truth since I’ve met you.”

Wilker
shrugs.

“Do
you really think they are going to survive this, with the plan you thought up?”
Wilker looks Noata in the eyes.

“Tomorrow
we’re going to try and sneak our way to the other side. Which won’t work. So we
are going to fight our way to the other side. It’s a stupid and idiotic
suicidal plan. And do you want to know the worst part about it?” he asks Noata,
Noata looks back at him, he resigns himself.

“It’s
still the best plan I could think of, with all my years of tenure, I couldn’t
think of a better plan to do what we’re about to do. You’ve bested me,” Wilker
finishes.

Noata
sits up.

“Is
that supposed to make me feel any better? Telling me that my plan is going to
get us killed! But that it’s still the best plan? Is your ego that big where
you can’t see how hurtful that is?” Noata has a large hint of anger in his
eyes
.

Wilker
takes in a large breath and breathes out.