5. The Theft

Casjara had behaved herself exemplarily until evening fell. And she laughed when she noticed the captain fell for it.

Her arm hurt more any wound she had before. But she refused to wait any longer and had intentionally boxed with her sore arm for several hours.“To keep it awake,” she had said.

Hera was gone for a while. Maybe that was better. She never understood Casjara. She didn’t understand that she was made—born!—to lead an army. That this was a big opportunity—maybe the only opportunity—to conquer a planet for mankind.

So she waited with her army in the rocket’s shadows. By now she had recruited almost thirty people. Once she had the majority on her side, she wouldn’t have to behave anymore. Then the captain would have to listen to her. Then everyone would have to listen to her.

First another problem had to be solved: the fact that their only weapons were a few rocks and broken spears.

Space Regulators guarded the entrance of the rocket. They were also supposed to have a uniform, shield and electronic weapon. During their panicked launch from Somnia, however, they had lost a lot. And when electricity became scarce, they were no longer allowed to use the weapon either.

So, currently, the guards were really only a few men in loose clothing with sticks.

That wasn’t the problem. She could beat them in five seconds and walk past. But she had to get inside unseen. Without anyone—

She heard footsteps behind her. Her spear already pointed backwards, but the sound came from far away. Simmo and his group walked the horizon, their heads down, talking enthusiastically.

Stay away, she thought. If he takes one step into camp, I’ll knock him unconscious. This has to happen tonight.

Fortunately, Simmo seemed to follow a trail and soon disappeared from view. She leaned her arm against a rock she had determined was really a rock, not a creature. Her arm didn’t support the weight and she bit her teeth to avoid crying out in pain.

“Casjara? Are you sure you want to go through with this?” asked a man’s voice behind her. “Those weapons aren’t going anywhere.”

“My life isn’t going anywhere,” she snapped. “I should be on Somnia by now. I should have had the second highest rank in the Apranian army, and as soon as my father stepped down, I would have become the military advisor.”

Casjara stood up and walked noiselessly but confidently towards the rocket, her army at her heels. “I’ve waited long enough. Tonight I’m taking what’s rightfully mine.”

Simmo is good for one thing at least, she thought, as she took a crumpled paper from her pocket. He has drawings of the inside of the rocket.

The group didn’t walk to the front, but to the back. There they found, exactly as the drawing indicated, a number of squares painted on the metal. It looked like decoration; it was a secret hatch to repair the rocket from the outside.

What can be repaired, however, can be damaged much more easily.

Their sharp spearheads cut through the edges of the squares. It made more noise than Casjara had hoped for, but they came liist within a few counts.

Steam escaped the opening. She stuck in her head and smelled an unpleasant gasoline odor that nearly made her faint. She didn’t look at what she was doing and grabbed anything within range. Cables were ripped loose. Large metal blocks were pushed outside so the rest of her group could flatten or throw them away.

Until the desired sound came, one similar to helicopter blades slowly reducing their spin. The exterior lights flickered, dimmed, and then went completely dark.

Stomping boots. The Space Regulators shouted over each other. But they all came from the left, allowing Casjara and her group to simply run around the right side of the rocket.

Stupid idiots, she thought. That’s why they need a good general. Without me they’re useless.

Only two guards were left at the entrance, but they couldn’t see anything in the dark and were too busy reassuring people. Casjara’s group slipped inside through the doors that now permanently stood open.

She had memorized the floor plans long ago. Because that’s what you did. Scan your surroundings, remember every nook and cranny, for you never know when it might become very important. Something else Hera just didn’t understand. She read endless books, but never the military instruction books Casjara had put in her bag!

She led her group through the winding corridors without any problems, even though they couldn’t see anything. The first floor was reached. The second floor. She only had to reach the forbidden quarters and all the weapons would be theirs.

The doors, however, were locked.

And of course the electrical system to open them doesn’t work now, she thought. Fud! Learning moment. What now?

She controlled her breathing to stay calm. Her sore arm slid along the doors as if looking for something. Mostly to reassure the others, because she had no idea what to look for, and the Space Regulators were coming for them.

A memory came to her. Electricity and computers have made people arrogant, her father often said. When it fails, you’ll find most doors no longer have a physical lock.

She stepped back. She placed her hands on the handles.

She slid the doors open without resistance.

All the animals had already gone back to minding their own business, but the giant panda looked at Hera seriously. “We ave oe siple questio: wat are ou doig ere?”

Hera struggled to formulate an answer. The words—which normally came so easily to her—stayed away. Yes, what are we doing here? she asked herself.

The panda took it as encouragement to press on. “If ou attac us, we ust defed ourselves. If ou wat to abuse our est, sta awa. We alread ave too mu to defed agaist. Wat are ou doig ere?”

Hera threw her arms in the air. “We … we just want to live. We’ve ruined our own planet, and now we hope to find a place somewhere else.”

The panda shook his head. “Tere is o roo ere for ou. Ou are too dangerous.”

Too dangerous? That didn’t sit right with Hera. She looked around. This small forest, without actual trees, contained both tiny animals and large beasts that ate them. They had killed ten people before they wanted to talk.

Anger rose until she screamed: “Sorry, but you attacked us first!”

“Attac? We did ot attac ou.”

“Yes you did—”

“If ou visit te ouse of a tiger, ot ivited, ou ust ope it’s ot ugry.”

Oh, she thought. So they do understand that tigers will eat them if hungry.

Now that didn’t sit right with Hera at all. “Then why did you start living together? Half the animals eat the other half!”

The panda frowned and stayed silent, as if it took a while before he really understood what she was saying. Hera was scared to death of a blow from his claw. That he would walk away and leave her to the tigers and elephants.

He, however, spoke calmly. “Dager akes ou stroger. Wo tries teir best will be te last eate. See ow we adapted so well to tis ruel plaet?”

His big fluffy ears stood upright. He looked sideways and saw, through the gate, Casjara and her army storming towards them.

“But ou … eac of ou is a tousad tigers in oe!”

All the animals crawled out of their hiding spots. The panda alone could block the entire gate. He stuck out a paw, as a gesture for them to keep their distance, and stared angrily at Casjara.

She, however, only had eyes for Hera.

“Hera, darling, sweetheart. We also want to talk to the animals. Can you put in a good word for us?”

“I …” She had started talking without really knowing what her answer was. Why would she suddenly change her mind? she thought. I see they didn’t bring their spears.

“Our relationship started badly, by killing each other’s beings. I feel guilty,” said Casjara humbly.

“About killing their beings?”

“About the bad start to our relationship.”

Hera looked at Casjara’s arm, which hung limply.

“How are you doing? I heard the snake bites can be poisonous.”

“Oh, good, good. Sweetheart, our camp is quite messed up thanks to those beings over there. We’d love a safe place, with food, and nice chats with our alien friends. Can you convince him we can come in?”

“I uderstad wat ou are saig,” said the panda grumpily. “Prove ou coe in peace.”

Casjara held up her arms—and her clothing. “No weapons.”

Hera looked back and forth between the panda and her friend. She stared for a long time at her clothes, until, with intense sadness, she found what she was looking for.

Back on Somnia, she had seen Casjara return from weapons training for years. The animals wouldn’t notice, but she recognized the bulges around her ankles as small handguns. She also recognized the harness, looking like a shirt, for carrying a rifle on your back.

The animals hadn’t moved an inch yet. They blocked the gate, and groups of snakes hung from the trees, ready to attack any moment.

Casjara shuffled closer, as the animals slowly let down their defense.

“No!” Hera shouted. Everyone froze. “It’s dangerous here. You don’t want to come here, honey.”

Hera ran through the gate herself, screaming like a madman.

“These are cruel monsters and they will kill us all! Flee quickly! Save me! They have way more weapons than you think!”

Hera fell into Casjara’s arms. She had missed the warmth, but immediately felt the sore arm couldn’t support her weight.

Indeed, she felt the cold metal of a weapon on her back. She yanked her arms away as if the weapon was scalding hot instead.

Hand in hand, they looked back at the panda under the gate.

He sat down and crossed his arms.

“Te Idi will decide our fate.”