Look Both Ways

rs became the third barrack. It was smaller than the rest. They were kept separate as well. Surprisingly the pregnant Opar was left with us. The woman wasn executed. I wondered if the pregnancy had been an elaborate suicide attempt. There seemed to be easier ways. I never got the chance to ask. The Opar fussed over her at each meal. The Blacks allowed that much. She seemed healthy enough. No one else got pregnant.

A couple of weeks later, I don know what came over me. I approached the Black that was watching us. It was one of the bipeds with several of the quadrupeds. I guess thats what was common behind the lines. Its not like the Alliance told us. The quadruped Blacks growled when I came close. The other Black, the biped, waved one appendage at them. They stilled. I took the warning though and didn approach further.

”Where is Lieutenant Pickering? ” I thought my heart would explode. I expected the Black to shift, to level its weapon at me. It just looked down. It was silent. I knew it had a translator, but I still felt stupid. Why would it know who Pickering was? ”The Human? ”

I don know if it was going to answer. There was a cry from behind us. The Blacks gun levelled at me. The noise could be a deliberate distraction. What I did next wasn the smartest thing. I turned, exposing my back. It at least displayed to the Black this wasn the beginning of a trap.

A Zarthan had collapsed. His name was Enite. It was actually something much longer. Like Tiro, he had given a nickname that was easier for the rest of us to use. Enite was shivering. The Black stayed where it was. It didn approach. Approaching would put it in the middle of us. That was dangerous. Never let it be said the Blacks, even the lower ranks, were stupid.

One of the quadrupeds went forward. I went to do what I could. I had no idea what that would be. The quadruped seemed to sniff at Enite. I was a bit more direct.

”Are you okay? ”

”Water, ” Enite gasped. Several small flasks were offered. I snagged one and held it to Enites mouth.

He sipped, but then spat it out. ”Salts. ” His voice was weak. I didn understand.

”Salts? ”

One of the other Zarthan heard. ”He needs salt water, ” they explained.

That triggered the memory. Tiro had always drunk water that was salty. The Zarthan needed it. The Blacks had only given us fresh. The Zarthan that had explained didn look the best either. I guess they all needed the extra salts.

I turned back to the Black. The quadruped had shifted back. ”He needs salt water. ” My concern about Pickering was lost in the more immediate need.

The Black again said nothing. I knew it could speak. It gave us instructions every morning, telling us in a terse, but translated voice what we were to do each day.

”All of you, pick him up. Take him back to your barracks. ” The order was still terse.

We obeyed. The Blacks escorted us past the other work groups. They looked curious but didn get a chance to question us. We made it back to the barrack. There was water waiting. Salt water. That was a surprise. The Black had obviously communicated with the others. They had left the provisions. The Black locked us in. For the moment we didn care.

Enite drank. So did the other Zarthan. They perked up immediately.

The rest of us settled down but we had questions. I knew we did. I had them. The others had to have at least some. The Enemy made no sense. They had let the Opar live. They now provided provisions for the Zarthan. That wasn the actions of the vicious, brutal species we had been told about. They seemed to care. At least peripherally.

I could sort of understand their actions with the civilians. They hadn fought. They were not a risk. We were soldiers. We knew the risks. We had fought. I had at least. I had killed them. Yet they were providing necessary resources.

We were let out for the evening meal. There was now fresh and saltwater. Zarthan from the other barracks drank greedily. I guess Enite had just been the first to collapse.

It still made no sense. They had no obligation to care for us. And as far as I knew, no one had been taken and slaved to a machine.

I didn go all mushy. I couldn . I still remembered the Destroyer. That was a Bright One. It was obviously slaved. I could still remember the pain of its screams. But the Blacks were taking care of us. There was enough food and water. They kept us in reasonable conditions. We had to work but there was no other abuse. It made no sense.

My confusion gave me courage. I ate quickly, then walked up to one of the other Blacks. Again, the quadruped Blacks growled. I took that as the distance I was allowed. I stopped.

”Thank you for the water for Enite, ” I said. I figured I could be polite.

The Black just glared.

I swallowed. This one was different from the others. It seemed much more aggressive. I don know how I knew that. I plowed on. Id made the approach, it would stick with it. ”Where is Lieutenant Pickering? The Human. ” I asked the same question as earlier. The guard had obviously communicated with someone. Maybe it had communicated my question as well.

I became aware of the others watching. At least some of them remembered Pickering. They would have been trained by her.

The Black continued to glare. I felt stupid but I remained in position. I wanted an answer. ”She has been taken to Earth. ”

I didn expect that answer. ”Her homeworld? ” That was surprising.

”Her homeworld, ” the Black repeated. It sounded almost amused.

I didn know how to reply to that. I mean, on one hand I felt happy for her. She would see her species homeworld, something the Alliance never deemed possible. On the other hand, she was being taken to the centre of the Enemys territory. The first system lost had been Sol. Their possession of it had never been challenged. We had no idea what was happening there.

They were taking Pickering there.

”Why? ” I froze when the question slipped out. So did the tables behind me. I could sense that some were curious for the answer. Others thought I was a traitor. I ignored that sentiment. I was asking about one of us.

”Where else would we take a Human? ” the Black replied. It then dismissed me. It didn turn away, but I definitely got the impression I was to leave. It was in the way the quadrupeds shifted. Some things didn need translation.

I heaved a deep breath. I turned away. I had a lot to think about.