After Earth

i

Kitai had broken into a sprint, heading for the higher mountain and a chance for success. He pushed aside his growing hunger and instead studied the black mountain. His studies had taught him that such markings indicated it was a volcano, simmering. Dad had warned him the planet had many active volcanoes, and so he was glad this one was quiet. Its rough terrain would give him plenty of traction, making the climbing easier. There were no animals or birds nearby, and that meant he could focus entirely on the target. His Ranger training was coming back to him, and he would show Velan and Bo and Rayna. He was every bit a Ranger.

His run was interrupted abruptly when he came across the body of a leopard. It was not just lying before him on the ground but instead hanging from a tree, partly blocking his path. No wonder there were no other animals around. His mind also warned him of what could possibly have hung the carcass. Forcing that image from his mind, he kept moving.

Not long afterward, though, he came to a complete stop as he took in the sight of an entire pack of hyenas also hanging in the trees, almost in a straight line. This was not the work of some random predator higher up the food chain. They appeared to have been dead for some time. The Ursa was setting a trap, trying to rile up Kitai’s fear. And it was working.

He reached the base of the coal-black mountain without further incident, which was just fine by him. He forced himself to study the area before taking in the magnificent sight. There were hundreds of tiny lava rivers charging down the ebony slopes. Maybe it wasn’t so dormant after all.

Leaving the jungle behind for good, he hoped, he was stopped by a sound. He looked over his shoulder but saw nothing. Still, his flight-or-fight instincts said this was a good time for a jog. He kicked into high gear and began running up the black slope of the mountain.

Kilometers away, something made the motion sensor screen wake up and command Cypher’s attention. A new dot was moving toward Kitai’s blinking dot. There was no guessing what it could be, but without confirmation he merely told the holo image, “I have something moving toward you from the west… It has found you.” Like a good coach, Cypher talked to his holographic son, who was making good progress. Unable to help Kitai himself, he directed, “Go left, Kitai. You’ll save time. You’ll have a straight shot without having to go through any tunnels.”

He sighed as Kitai moved to his right.

“Damn it.”

Kitai bolted up the slope, fast and fluid. It was an easier climb than his last effort before flunking out of the Rangers. He figured Bo and Rayna and the others would be far behind him by now. He missed them as he scampered with confidence and soon was enveloped in the ionic cloud, white and thick, that was causing the interference. It consumed the upper portion of the mountain and changed everything. Kitai realized he was effectively blind and could not see a predator, native or alien, if it was farther than two meters away from him.

Kitai readjusted a handhold and then looked at his sleeve and saw that the smart fabric had altered color to jet-black and adopted the texture that would protect its wearer from most harm. Danger was nearby; he couldn’t see it, but he knew it was coming. He just didn’t know from where. He tried to penetrate the dense mist around him visually but saw nothing.

However, he heard scuttling, something nearing him. Instinctively, he withdrew his cutlass and activated it. He moved backward a few meters and found an entrance to a cave, something he had missed the first time he’d passed it.

The cave was all onyx. Kitai had never seen anything so dark yet so shiny. There were stalactites and stalagmites cluttering the cave, and that made maneuvering tricky. The growths appeared to be made entirely of diamonds, something Kitai had never heard of happening back home. He had no time to study the fascinating find, instead running into the depths of the cave. All that mattered right now was that the Ursa was here, hunting him. There had to be a way out, hadn’t there? He continued to move, trying to control the mounting panic in his chest, when he spotted a shaft of light dropping from a crevice in the cave’s ceiling. All he had to do was follow that and he’d exit the mountain, above the damned clouds, he hoped, and activate the beacon.

Such satisfying thoughts were banished when a terrifying, unearthly scream echoed off the crystalline walls. As the sound vanished, he could hear claws against crystal and stone. Viper had followed him into the cave. He had no choice but to go deeper and hope a second exit presented itself. One hand brushed against a stalagmite, and the sharp-edged diamond protuberances sliced into his palm. He needed speed but was forced to move carefully.

A second scream reminded him that there was no margin for caution. Recognizing there were no other exits evident, Kitai knew it was time to change strategy. He held the cutlass before him, uncertain how many of its different configurations he actually knew how to activate, let alone use. Instead of worrying about it, he found several stalagmites to hide behind, giving him a view of the entrance. His eyes rose to the shaft of light; he hoped he’d still have a chance to use that escape route.

Watching the crevice, he was interested in the mist that had seeped through from the clouds outside. As he studied it, he saw something unnatural move in the mist. Before he could react, the Ursa shifted from camouflage mode to its natural hideous form and hung from the ceiling. The beast let Kitai take in its powerful form before the hide shimmered and blended in with the rocky ceiling, disappearing once more. All Kitai could hear was its claws against the rock, moving away, toying with him, making him sweat with fear, turning Kitai into a tasty morsel.

He crouched low, trying to use the stalagmites as a shield.

Looking around, he saw that a large crystalline structure had fallen across two tremendous boulders, creating a crude bridge. Cautiously, Kitai moved under it slowly, seeking protection. Peeking out, he spotted dust drifting down from directly above his position. Without warning, the Ursa became visible and dropped the three meters separating them. It landed atop the crystal bridge, snarling and smelling awful. Kitai wanted to wretch but gritted his teeth and remained beneath the crystal, which was cracking from the impact and the weight of the beast. His fingers twitched, and the cutlass fell from his grasp.

As he looked once more at his opponent, there was a flash of hope when he saw that two shards of crystal had pierced the Ursa’s body, trapping it in place. Unfortunately, Kitai was similarly trapped as he tried to move only to discover that his foot was trapped underneath a shattered section of the crystal bridge. His boot protected his foot from injury, but he was still stuck and needed to free himself in a hurry. It would have been comical to be an observer watching the two life-forms struggle to dislodge themselves from the same predicament. Only it was not funny to Kitai. This was life or death, not just his but his father’s, too.

Worse, the Ursa had six limbs and was using several to try to pry itself free while one was pushing down, trying to crush Kitai’s foot. The human was fighting back, struggling to lever himself free, but was failing with every attempt. Done with the crystal, the Ursa’s free claw was now swiping the air before the teen’s face.

Suddenly the claw vanished, going to the aid of the other limbs in freeing the body, allowing Kitai the precious moments he needed to yank his foot away from the crystal chunks and roll free. Grabbing the cutlass, he spun about, ready to slay the impaled beast. Instead, he turned about and his weapon shook with the force of an incoming blow from the Ursa. It was powerful enough to send the human flying three meters backward into an outcropping. The air was expelled forcefully from his lungs as his back hit the rocks.

The impact dazed Kitai, who remained low, trying to absorb the pain throughout his body and regain his strength. As he gathered his energy, he watched with renewed terror as the Ursa pulled itself off the twin shafts of crystal, dark gray blood trailing from the wounds. Now free, it stood for a moment, seemingly checking its own limbs, letting the blood pool atop the crystal floor. Kitai had no choice but to run.

The Ursa was right behind him, roaring in pain and fury, hurting his ears. Energetically, Kitai leaped off the ground, propelled himself at an angle off the side of the cave, and flipped through the air to avoid fresh stalagmites and stalactites, hoping they would slow the beast. Instead, the charging creature shattered the crystal structures and kept running toward the cadet. And it was gaining.

Kitai spotted a small crevice to his left and low to the ground, and he dived headfirst through the narrow space. Sure enough, he took some bruising as he landed, but his guess had been right: It was too small for the Ursa to follow. Instead, it thrust claws at him and bellowed but didn’t make contact. In a rage, the Ursa threw its weight at the space, shattering the crystal walls. As debris fell, Kitai scrambled to his feet and continued deeper into the cave. He acrobatically ran, jumped, and leaped around, over, and under crystal impediments.

Just as he thought he had gained some distance from the Ursa, which was charging through the natural formations, it reached forward and clipped Kitai’s leg with its claw, sending him sprawling in pain. Rather than give in to it, he used the momentum to roll quickly and resume running. As he moved deeper, Kitai began to notice the tunnel growing narrower.

The Ursa was gaining on him.

Finally, Kitai spotted an opening into a narrow cave, maybe a meter wide. The Ursa was too big to follow him in there. He slid into the cave and caught his breath, listening to the monster’s howls of anger and frustration. After it was done yelling, Kitai peered into the tunnel. The Ursa studied the opening, spying Kitai within, and then backed away.

That was when Kitai realized how truly intelligent the beast was. He hadn’t stopped to realize that stringing up the animals was a sign of cunning. It wanted him scared since it fed off his fear and used it to track him. Now it was waiting him out. This was a deadlier foe than he’d ever imagined.

As he considered that, he watched the Ursa through the small entrance. The creature stared back and then placed one claw on the crystals and another on the rock wall. Within seconds, it seemingly vanished before his eyes, taking on properties of both minerals. Daring him to try to escape. Instead, Kitai edged farther back a meter and rested his injured body against the crystal wall. It felt safe, but he knew full well that just before him, somewhere out there, the Ursa waited for him, camouflaged and startlingly silent.

The waiting game had begun.

Kitai squeezed his eyes tight, shutting out the images from nearly five years earlier. Calling to Senshi, wishing she’d hide with him. He opened them slowly and stared out the small cave entrance. He tried to see a movement, something that would show him where the Ursa was hidden in plain sight.

Although he saw nothing, he did hear the steady drip, drip, drip of blood. He couldn’t see the gray droplets but knew they were there.

That was when the Ursa came into view, once more hanging upside down, literally crowding the entrance, as close as it could come to the human. First one claw, then another reached inside the cave, trying to reach Kitai but failing. That seemed to frustrate the beast more than anger it. It stretched deeper this time and nearly nicked Kitai. To retaliate, he waved the cutlass before him, forcing the limbs back through the entrance. Once the Ursa backed off a bit, he shimmied himself farther back into the cave.

With its limbs out of reach, the Ursa used another of its formidable weapons and spit several black globules of venom at Kitai. The paralytic agent missed his face by centimeters, striking the back of the crevice. The next attack finally proved successful as one of the black masses hit the lifesuit and his exposed skin. The mere touch of the icky, vile-smelling stuff caused him to scream. He knew this would slow down his reflexes and give the Ursa a decided advantage.

The Ursa managed to wedge itself into the crevice, its sheer bulk wearing away the edges. As it neared Kitai, it spit more black poison in his direction, and the law of averages dictated that a second bit of the gross venom would make contact. He continued to crawl backward. The Ursa matched him centimeter by centimeter. As Viper closed the distance to its prey, the Ursa once more tried to snatch Kitai with its foreclaws but failed to reach him. It spit again, pressing its advantage.

Kitai continued to shimmy back, not daring to take his eyes off the beast. As a result, he missed the fact that he was running out of space. Before he knew it, he was slipping, and gravity took hold of his slender form and yanked. Suddenly, he was falling. Not far, maybe two meters, but enough to surprise him before he struck a rock. Pain radiated from the impact, and he grunted more than once but refused to scream. Instead, he flipped from the rock, spun around, and continued to fall, this time much farther down. He remembered how sailors fell to their doom in Moby Dick and feared he was about to join them.

That was when he hit water and confused the novel with his own situation. He nearly swallowed a mouthful as he sank low. He threw out his arms and legs, spreading them to distribute his weight evenly. Without taking the time to hold his breath, he had precious little oxygen in his system and needed to get control of his situation. Fast.

Steady but still underwater, he opened his eyes, impressed that the smart fabric in his lifesuit still provided some illumination. Twin spots of light from his shoulders let him see maybe two meters in any direction. As he hurriedly assessed his position, he saw a shaft of light waver in the water. Light meant escape and, he hoped, freedom. A chance to complete the mission and save his father. But if he made it down here, could the Ursa have followed? And did it know how to swim? He hadn’t sensed the kind of impact a creature of its bulk would have made, but that didn’t mean anything.

Feeling the lack of air start to burn, he began to swim toward the light. In looking back, he couldn’t recall where he felt the first bite, but suddenly his body was enveloped with tiny sightless fish with big teeth taking nips. He’d heard of such fish but couldn’t recall their name. Instead, he felt them ripping his lifesuit, which he didn’t think possible.

As quickly as the fish attacked him, they disappeared faster. Kitai began to wonder what had changed but knew in a heartbeat why. The Ursa had made its way to him and was now approaching, its six legs propelling it through the water at a fast enough rate to worry him. One leg and claw slashed at Kitai, narrowly missing his leg.

Turning away from the predator, Kitai pushed off and swam as hard as he knew how. He was swimming for his life in almost total darkness, his shoulder lights flickering thanks to the fish tearing at the integrated bodysuit. He continued toward the streaming light. The Ursa was right behind him and closing.

Kitai, already breathing hard and laboring, pushed himself even harder to pick up speed. There was now desperation mixing in with his practiced strokes. The lights flashed briefly on an unusually beautiful group of stalactites just before him. It was a straight, unimpeded line to the light, but that also played to the Ursa’s strengths. As he swam and tried to control his mounting panic, Kitai strained to strategize. He veered off and swam through the stalactites, pushing off each one for extra momentum. Sure enough, he was putting much-needed distance between him and the bulky beast.

What happened next was confusing, largely because Kitai was disoriented. He was rushing so far, so fast underwater that he grew confused. He was uncertain which way was up and knew he needed to find out quickly before he drowned. A few bubbles escaped his lips and traveled down.

How are bubbles going down? That isn’t right.

Kitai flipped himself around and followed the bubbles, which rose to the surface. As he broke the surface, he spotted the light and took a much-needed breath. As he reached the light’s contact point with the water, Kitai saw that he was at the bottom of a vertical shaft of rock that traveled roughly twenty-five meters above him to where daylight awaited.

Despite his weariness, Kitai left the water, pulling himself up on a jagged piece of rock, which cut into exposed parts of his flesh now that the lifesuit was compromised. He took several deep breaths to center himself and then positioned his feet on either side of the shaft to brace himself. He reached out with his arms, pulled himself up, and then began the slow, steady climb to the surface.

Before he went several meters, though, the Ursa burst from the water and reached for its prey. One claw snagged Kitai’s leg, but once more its bulk prevented it from succeeding. It could not fit into the shaft and follow Kitai. In fury the beast tried to pull the human toward its gaping mouth. Kitai looked into the maw with its sharp teeth, moist tongue, and dark innards. He screamed. Two claws had gotten purchase and begun dragging him backward. His legs scissored to break free as his arms pulled his body upward. Both efforts worked, and with a sudden rush forward, he was free. As he clambered up, the Ursa bound out of the water in a final attempt to grab him and bring him down. Fortunately, the effort failed and the Ursa fell back to the underground lake.

Kitai was in pain. The tiny cuts were not deep, but there were enough larger cuts to be felt with every muscle movement. He was tired. He was hungry. There was no one around to help him; there was no rescue on its way. All this roiled within him, and he finally let it all out in a yell of pain and fear.

Without looking down at the Ursa, Kitai climbed. He had little choice, and so he continued to the surface, focusing on the next handhold. The next step. As he rose, the beast’s roars diminished until they finally faded away and he could put it out of his mind for now. The meters vanished beneath him and he lost track of time, but the light grew brighter and he felt the beginnings of a breeze. The surface was beckoning.

The timeless void ended as his head rose above the shaft, and he once more saw clouds and sky and black mountain. He pulled himself to the surface and stood, panting. His lifesuit was still damp, and drops of water fell from the obsidian surface, which was glistening in the waning sunlight. To his surprise, it was snowing. The air around him was filling with flakes, but as they adhered to his skin and lifesuit, he noticed they were not crystalline water droplets but something ashy. Then he remembered. This was a volcano, and it was still very much awake. From where he stood, there really were no safe places to climb. He was standing essentially on the edge of a cliff, and it was a long way down.

ii

On the Hesper, Cypher Raige was waging war with himself, forcing the fever-induced flashbacks away. He remained frantic as he feared the worst for his son. There had been no communications for some time now, and Kitai’s signal appeared to be lost. So did the Ursa’s avatar, making him go mad with worry and concern. If the Ursa had killed Kitai and lived, it would continue to hunt and eventually find its way to him. Somehow, he knew, it would locate the sole remaining human on Earth and kill him. Or he would bleed out, leaving behind a somewhat rancid corpse for the Ursa.

A beeping sound caught his wavering attention, and he saw that Kitai’s vital signs were registering. He’s alive! The screen representing Kitai’s lifesuit camera winked back on, and Cypher saw the dark mountain. His son was alive and above the ionic interference. All he had to do was activate the beacon. But what was he waiting for?

Kitai steadied himself, having ascertained his current whereabouts and situation. His breathing was once more under control, but his stomach was demanding attention. He was out of MREs and would have to tough it out. He began to reach for the backpack and the homing beacon when he was distracted by the sounds of an avalanche. Or so it seemed to him. He turned toward the sound and saw the shaft being torn apart. Rocks fell into the entrance, and there was an unmistakable sound of claw against rock. The Ursa was forcing its way up to continue its hunt for Kitai.

The security chief had been right. Once the beast imprinted on Kitai, it would not stop until it or Kitai was dead.

It was beginning to occur to Kitai that it might be him.

But first he had to save his father.

He reached for the beacon, but before he could activate the signal, a claw grabbed his legs and pulled. The teen fell face-first into the hard rock. Both hands flew open with the impact, and the beacon flew one way and the cutlass another.

Kitai tried to scramble to his feet, but the Ursa, still trying to emerge from the shaft, smacked him into another rock and then hefted him into the air, tossing him away like a rag doll. As he hit the ground, he felt blood gush from his nose and pain in his neck. He wanted to get up, run away, but he couldn’t. He hurt too much. This was it.

The Ursa, once it reached the surface, was going to claim its prey.