“We will do our best.”
“I’d like to volunteer for scout duty.” Dad spoke up from behind me. He released his grip from my shoulder. It wasn’t until he did that I realized he had been squeezing hard enough to leave a bruise. Why would he be putting his name forward if he was so afraid? I had to keep an eye on him.
“I’d like to go too.”
“Like father, like daughter.” I heard Eliza mutter underneath her breath. “Fine. Just try not to get yourselves into any more trouble than we already have, okay?” She squeezed my hand in a conciliatory gesture. When things were settled, we needed to reconnect. For now, it was better for me to let Eliza do her thing. I didn’t take it too personally. Once she got her mind set on something, she was like a bloodhound. Nothing else could stand in her way. It was the cost of being married to her. As tedious as it could get, I appreciated her dedication.
We were each issued a gun and told to gather information, nothing more. Dad asked to tag along with me and we settled in on a rocky overhang. Despite being dressed in our warm clothing the stone was cold underneath us. It was imperative that we take some time to keep ourselves warm overnight. Hypothermia was a nasty way to go, or so I heard. I winced as I heard my father’s knees crackle when he knelt down.
“You okay?”
“Yeah.” He grimaced and pointed his toes behind him to stretch his legs. “Getting old. I think I have to finally admit that Gabriel took it out of me, too. God knows I’ve gotten the shit kicked out of me enough these days.”
“And yet you’re still out here, diving headfirst into the rough missions with the rest of us fools.” I unzipped a scope from my pack and put it to my eye. I was instantly transported thousands of feet closer to the city. Through the lens I could see detail far beyond what the naked eye could perceive. The scope had the ability to cycle through several modes; infrared, night vision, negative colors, every kind of surveillance you could ever want. I spent a few minutes playing with the settings while I scanned the buildings.
Nothing lit up.
I told myself it was possible that any humans settled inside were far enough away from the exterior of the building that the scope wasn’t picking them up. It was unlikely that they would possess enough technology to reflect in night vision. There was no power that I could see, no electricity that ran into the buildings, other than the beacon. That part didn’t make sense. If the people had the capability to generate such a massive energy output, why wouldn’t they use it to power appliances, or even lighting? I must have been talking to myself because Dad chose that moment to answer.
“Fiona, when Gabriel kicked me out on the surface...” He paused, and broke into a coughing fit. I set down the scope and rubbed his back to calm the spasm. “When Gabriel kicked me out on the surface, the first thing I did was hide. You saw why with the death of that boy a couple of days back. If there are people in there—and there clearly are—they’ve almost certainly shielded themselves. For all we know, they’re kicking back over there with a bowl of stew and a tablet.”
“Mhmm.” I put the scope back to my eye and took a deep breath. The minutes crawled by, but nothing popped up. I handed the scope off to Dad and tore open a self-heating meal. I didn’t bother looking at what the packet contained. Most of it tasted the same anyway, loaded with enough salt to make even the most disgusting food taste palatable. Staying out in the cold had sapped enough energy from me that hot food was a godsend. I was just folding the packet away for disposal later when I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Fearing another panther attack, I kicked Dad gently in the side.
“Dad, turn around for me. No, do it slowly! There’s something looking at us.”
He placed the scope down gently, being careful to not make any noise, and craned his neck to look behind me. For a moment he looked confused. Then a slow grin spread across his face. “Oh, aren’t you the cutest thing!” At his expression I turned around and saw a small figure moving through the grass. It moved on all fours and was about the size of a hand. When I switched on my flashlight, the creature’s eyes glinted back at me, little dots of yellow in the spotlight. As it came closer to me I saw that it was a small lizard. Its body was covered in blue skin dappled with black. When it moved I could see the bending back and forth of its spine, almost like its skin was translucent in spots. The shine of its eyes reminded me of the panther and I stepped back unconsciously. “It’s all right, Fiona. I think it isn’t going to hurt us.”
“Didn’t you nearly get killed by a swarm of insects a while back? Cute little ones that you thought would taste good?”
“Hush, daughter. That was different, anyway. This little one looks just harmless. Aren’t you, my friend?” He reached out a hand and the lizard crawled towards his fingers, iridescent eyes disappearing and reappearing as it blinked. The animal made small, clicking noises as it moved. It must have tiny claws that I couldn’t see from my vantage point. I kept my flashlight beam on it as Dad picked the lizard up. He brought it towards his face and prodded it with a finger. The clicking sound sped up and it looked like something in the creature’s midsection was moving.
“Pinch it.”
“What the hell would I do that for? If this
