Final Onslaught

Chapter One Cherry sat at the ocean’s edge and wept. The waves were sluggish as they hit the shore, heavy with the bodies of dead and rotting Fila. The stench was overwhelming, indescribable. As far as the eye could see, Fila corpses floated on the water’s surface, swollen by the gases of decay. The unique patterning of each body’s skin was defiled by corruption, and the tentacle limbs hung listless, moved only by the lethargic ocean current. It was her fault. Millions, possibly billions, of Fila had died and were still dying due to her rash, unilateral decision to defy the Scythians. If she had only stalled for more time or even agreed to their demand to enslave the human colony so the Scythians could return to their home planet, the Fila would not have died. The colony could have reneged on the deal. It could have turned on the Scythians who arrived. Or, because the arrivals would have been dependent on the humans for their survival, the colonists could have held them hostage and threatened to murder them if the colony was not left in peace. So many possibilities had been open to her, but she’d made a snap, rash decision, responding in fury after the Scythians had blasted apart half of Oceanside without provocation. She had told Meredith that Ethan would have been ashamed of her, but it was herself who should be ashamed. Ethan would not have been so headstrong or reckless. He would have kept his emotions in check and thought the problem through. He would not have risked all in a moment of rage and defiance. Cherry had taken that risk without a second thought, not even considering the impact her decision could have on those who were only tangentially involved in the fight for Concordia. Now she had the blood of an entire population of intelligent beings on her hands. Was there ever such a mass murderer in the history of the human race? She didn’t think so. It was an unprecedented g******e. And there was more death to come. The biocide the Scythians had fired onto the land and into the water continued to spread. The Fila in the oceans were helpless against it. The deadly chemical spread far and wide on the currents and the Fila could not leave the water and live. On land, the spread was slower but no less lethal. Oceanside had been abandoned six days previously, immediately after the attack, when it was discovered that one of the Scythians’ biocide canisters had landed there and killed hundreds of people. A toxic area had been identified near Annwn too, and the evacuation of the small city had turned into a rout. Smaller settlements near and in the mountains had not yet been touched by the spreading devastation, but it was only a matter of time before they were affected. At some unknown point in the future, the biocide would have done its work and no living thing would remain on Concordia. The planet would be a mausoleum, a ghastly memorial to the pride and spite of the Scythians. Cherry’s guilt was an iron spike driving relentlessly into her chest. Yet the pain was well deserved and for that reason she welcomed it. When the enormity of what she’d done had begun to sink in, she’d wanted to end it all, but then she’d realized that would be way too easy an escape. Now, she only flirted with death, tantalizing herself with the prospect of release but at the same time knowing that suffering was the only penance she could pay. Over the quiet wash of the waves on the shore, Cherry became aware of another sound. Footsteps trudged through the pebbles, growing louder. Someone was coming toward her. Cherry did not look around or bother to wipe the tears from her sodden face. The footsteps drew close and then stopped. “Cherry.” The voice was muffled. The person was wearing speaking from inside a haz suit. Anyone who wanted to eke out their last few days, weeks, or months on Concordia before their inevitable death wore a haz suit before stepping outside. Cherry wasn’t wearing one. A hand touched her shoulder. The person had used her first name too. It was someone who knew her personally. Cherry felt pressure on her shoulder and heard the movement of the pebbles as the person squatted down. “Cherry, it’s dangerous to be this close to the ocean. The biocide could be carried to you in the spray from the waves. What are you doing here?” When she didn’t answer, the person continued, “What am I saying? Of course I know why you’re here. Come on. Come with me. Let’s get you inside.” Despite the muffling of the haz suit’s helmet , Cherry now recognized the voice. It belonged to Kes. It was naturally he who had come to find her. Wilder—who was no longer Cherry’s friend anyway—was aboard the Opportunity, the single colonist who remained safe from the threat of the biocide. Aubriot was the only other person who used her first name, and she had not seen him or heard from him since the attack. He could even be dead. She’d left messages on his comm but he hadn’t answered. “Cherry,” said Kes, gently tugging at her arm. She turned to face him. His blue eyes were all that was visible of his face through the visor of his helmet. Kes had such kind eyes. “I know what you’re thinking,” he said, “and I know how you feel, but—” Cherry pulled her arm from his grip. “No, you don’t. You really don’t.” Kes sat down close beside her, the material of his haz suit pressing against her pants. “I was there too, remember? I was there in the bunker with you. And when you gave the order to retaliate, I said nothing. I did nothing to stop you. I thought Isobel and Miki and my unborn child were dead. I wanted revenge. I wanted every Scythian to be blasted out of the sky. None of us tried to stop you.” “Except Meredith,” said Cherry. “Meredith would have capitulated, it’s true, but she did nothing after the decision was taken from her and the battle started. We’re all culpable. Not just you.” “I know what you’re trying to do, Kes, but the responsibility is mine. I’m the one who gave the order. I’m the one who...” Her words sticking in her throat, Cherry swept her arm wide, gesturing toward the thousands of rotting Fila floating on the waves. “You didn’t kill them, Cherry,” said Kes. “The Scythians did all this. Not you. No one guessed what the Scythians were capable of. No one thought their retaliation would be to wipe the planet of all life. No one imagined they would be so evil.” Cherry heard Kes’ words but they made no impact on her feelings. She knew his intent was kind but nothing anyone said could absolve her of her guilt in the matter. It was a plain, hard fact. “Come back to the shelter with me,” said Kes. “Quickly, before it’s too late. If a single molecule of the biocide hits you it will run through you like a hot knife through butter. You won’t stand a chance.” Cherry didn’t know what butter was and she didn’t care if the biocide hit her, yet she did feel bad that her friend had come to find her despite the dangers of being outside. “Cherry, please,” Kes urged. “I should be in the lab working on developing a neutralizing agent for the biocide, not out here with you. Please come with me.” Cherry relented. Kes was right. He should not be wasting his time on her. He was one of the few people who stood a chance of saving the remaining life on Concordia. After all she’d done, it would be wrong of her to add to the peril of the colony through her own selfish actions. “Okay,” she said, “I’ll come.” She began to stand up. Her legs were numb and stiff from sitting so long on the cold pebbles. Kes helped her up. Cherry turned her back on the seascape of decaying Fila and faced inland. Dusk was falling. Where had the time gone? She had wandered down to the shoreline that morning. Gray and pink clouds overspread the sky and the scrubby beach grass was turning monochrome in the fading light. It was a regular scene, one of thousands Cherry had witnessed in the years she’d lived on Concordia. No one could have guessed on seeing it that the simple plant life and hidden coastal creatures of the landscape were on the brink of complete and final extinction. With Kes supporting her by holding her arm, Cherry tramped clumsily through the sliding pebbles. An autocar was parked on the road that ran parallel to the beach. They headed toward the vehicle. Warmth and feeling were returning slowly to Cherry’s legs but the terrible weight of guilt remained. She knew the feeling would never dissipate. Not as long as she had breath in her body. But the way things were looking, that would not be for too long.