Chapter XIII
The Center of the Sun
Their feet dug holes in the muddy ground as they ran through the field, crushing the drowned plants beneath them. The rain and earth mixed and swirled together, until the ground seemed to melt and flow, stirred alive. It conspired against their escape, clawing at their legs, tripping them. Cale blinked soil out of his eyes, reminded oddly of the mud pits back home. Dover clutched Cody tightly against his chest. He stumbled and Cody gave an anxious shriek.
"Hold on, we're almost there!" Dover cried, as much to reassure Cody as himself.
"Where are we going?" Cale asked, glancing only for moment in case he lost his footing.
"Melody's grave," Dover replied. "If he's waiting for us, he'll be there."
The blaze sank back behind them, blurry spots of light in the distance. They neared a patch of trees, stripped bare from disease and heat. As they came closer they saw a dark shape huddled underneath the largest of the trees. It was half swallowed by mud and drenched with rain. Dover handed Cody to Cale, who fumbled to get a proper hold. Ignoring Cale's protests, Dover walked forward and knelt next to the figure.
"Taylor? Come on, we gotta go," Dover said, putting his hand on Taylor's back. He sat with his knees pressed into the earth, doubled over. His hair fell into the mud at the foot of the tree. Dover could hear what sounded like whispering, but could not make it out. "Get up! We don't have time for this. We gotta go now."
There was a momentary brilliance in the night. Cale looked back at the farm to see a fireball exploding out of the spot where the kitchen had been. "Uh, Dover…"
"I know, I know! Mind giving me a hand here or what?" Dover snapped back. He turned his attention back to Taylor's shivering, muttering form. "Taylor…" Dover began pulling on the back of Taylor's shirt, but he was cast off.
"I just… wanted to say goodbye," Taylor muttered, face lifting away from the dirt. Cale hovered uneasily as Dover helped pull Taylor to his feet. He swayed for a moment, and then pushed the hair out of his eyes. "Alright. Let's go."
Cody clutched his arms around Dover's neck and craned his neck up. The walls of the canyon arched high above them, a crack like an endless lightning bolt splitting open the roof. Rain trickled down the roughly hewn rock, pooling into a continuous stream flowing past their wading feet. Tai led the group in silence. Cale followed at the rear, holding a makeshift torch. Their shadows danced eerily on the glittering walls. After a while, Cale spoke up.
"So, uh… where are we going now?" Cale asked, voice echoing. Dover glared back at Cale and frowned.
"We're hiding," Taylor replied, not bothering to turn his head. "There is a cave here I stayed in years ago, when I ran away. It's dry, at least. We'll stay there until the storm passes."
The current began to pick up, the water level rising. They slipped and stumbled as they trudged forward, scraping their hands and knees on the rocks. Finally, Taylor stopped.
"Here. It's here," he said, pointing up to a narrow opening above the water, which was now rising above their waists. Taylor climbed up into the opening, turning to take Cody away from Dover so he could follow. Cale stood watching, holding the torch above the water. The flame was flickering about wildly. He heard a muffled roar moving towards them.
"You might want to climb faster…" Cale said.
"What's the rush, Hero? Water too cold for you?" Dover grunted, hauling himself up into the cave. Cale began to follow, clutching at the wall with his free hand.
"You guys, I think--" Cale began to say, but was drowned out by the roar reverberating through the canyon. Dover looked out of the cave just as a rush of water overtook Cale, plunging them all into darkness. Cody screamed.
"Cale!" Taylor shouted. He tried to shove his way back out of the cave, but was pushed back by Dover. "Get out of the way!" he snarled.
"Just hold on a sec'!" Dover snapped. His eyes strained to see in the dark. The roar was fading, but water was still rushing underneath the cave entrance, splashing water onto Dover's hands. "Hey! Are you there?"
There was a pause, then a coughing and spluttering. Cale was clinging to the wall, pulling himself slowly up above the water. Dover reached his hand out, groping until he found Cale's arm. He pulled Cale the rest of the way into the cave, Cody and Taylor shuffling back to make room. Cale lay on the floor, coughing.
"Is Cay-el okay?" Cody's voice rang out.
"Yeah… I'm… fine," Cale wheezed, pushing himself to his knees. He made to stand up but rapt his head on the ceiling, sending him back into a kneel. "Lost the… torch though."
"I can see that," Dover snorted.
"We'll just wait until dawn, then… we should be safe in here," Taylor sighed.
"G'night, then. No one else drown until I wake up," Dover said.
"Will Uncle sing me a bedtime song?" Cody whimpered.
"Aww, do I have to?"
"Please? I'm sc-scared."
"Alright, alright, come here. Now let me think…"
Cale found a spot opposite the others and sat against the wall, leaning his head back. He could hear Dover starting to sing softly.
Little girl was down by the waterside
Sun so hot and the roses so red where she lie
As little boys sit and watch as she twirls all around
Sunny smiles, not a rain cloud could bring that girl down
But now, what's behind those big brown eyes
Do you dream at night without your lullaby
Little boy sits alone as he sings in the dark
Wondering if his own dreams had pulled them apart
Sings a song of tomorrow he never can see
Mostly sings of a lost little girl's memory
And now as his dreams go flashing by
He begins to hear a lonely lullaby
Well now we used to sing, and we used to cry
Through everything in our children's lullaby
Little girl on the street with nobody around
Has her head in the air, dirty feet on the ground
Shuts her eyes and she wonders is this a mistake
Now she's gone from the warmth of the little boy days
And still she believes that she'll get by
On her own without a little boy's lullaby
Little boy prays to God to answer his song
To hold her hand when everyone else's are gone
Time goes by and the wounds slowly turn into scars
So he makes his final wish on the midnight stars
He screams, little girl won't you hear my cry
Won't you come back home to your lover's lullaby
Little girl down by the waterside
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye…
Dover's voice faded out, leaving only the sound of the water trickling outside the cave.
"…Wow. Didn't know you could sing, if that's what that was," Cale whispered.
"Hey, shut your face."
"Where'd you learn that, anyway?"
"My… mother used to sing it to me." Cale noticed his voice was choked with a mixture of sadness and anger.
"Really? I don't really… remember my mother. She died when I was Cody's age."
"I don't want to remember her," Dover muttered. "She left me with my father. He's the reason I'm here, that hunching bastard… what parent sells their child?"
"I… I don't know. A desperate one?"
"Shit." His feet scraped against the rock. "We could have made it just fine! We always made it just fine."
With what little light there was, Cale could see the glint of the ring on his finger. "Think I know what you mean."
"Heh, really? Parents… who needs 'em. I mean, look at the kid. He's got neither and he's doin' just fine." He ruffled Cody's hair, fast asleep against Dover's side. "Damn I wish I had a smoke… looks like I'm quitting," he mumbled.
Cale smiled, though he knew no one could see it. "Thanks, by the way."
"For what?"
"For helping me out back there."
"Oh. No problem. I just wouldn't have been able to stand Taylor's bitching if you drowned or something."
Cale laughed quietly to himself.
"I really hope this works," Dover muttered, voice taking on a more vulnerable tone. "I… I can't go back there. Never again. I don't care if we find freedom in life or death. Nothing will make me go back there."
The cave fell silent once more. Cale sat for a moment, listening to the water. There was a growing dread, a heaviness in his heart that told him they might not survive this. He was sure they all knew this, even Cody. Cale knew their attempt was like an animal chewing its foot out of a trap. They had made it this far, but he felt it was only a matter of time until the hunters caught up; and this time, there would be no trap. Just a shot between the eyes.
Cale was awakened several hours later by a sharp kick in the shins. "Rise and shine, Sleeping Beauty! You got ten seconds before we leave without ya."
He blinked his eyes open and glared at Dover. "Watch where you aim those kicks, asshole," he muttered, stirring.
"Oh, looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the cave," Dover scoffed, turning away.
"Well that happens when you spend all night sleeping with a rock stuck up your--"
"Are you done?" Taylor twisted his head around from where he sat at the edge of the cave. "We've got to move. It'll be light soon." He turned away and jumped down out of sight.
Dover rolled his eyes. "Just a ray of sunshine, isn't he?" He gestured to Cody, who was sitting and staring off into space. "Come on, Cod', let's go." Cody blinked and crawled after Dover, climbing down out of the cave. Cale stretched, muttered to himself, and followed.
The canyon was filled with a deep navy glow, just enough light to look around. The storm had passed and the flood with it, leaving only a film of water trickling down the canyon bottom. Taylor stood with his back to the others.
Cale jumped down beside Dover and Cody, the pebbles clicking together under his shoes. He gave his damp pants a tug. "Well, this feels just a little awkward."
Dover glanced over at him and grinned. "Won't get any drier standing around here, will you?" He took Cody's hand walked up to Taylor, Cale following, disgruntled.
"So where to, oh bold leader?" Dover asked, peering around to look at Taylor's face.
He stared blankly ahead to where the canyon twisted up and out of sight. "I don't care," he replied, almost monotone. "Just as long as it's far from here."
"Tek could probably help us," Cale volunteered. "He might, uh… be a little upset, but…"
"What do we need a technician for?" Dover asked, irritated.
"No, he's my… well, me and Tai, our guardian. He's in the city right now."
"Can he get us out of here?"
"Well sure, but…"
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's move!" Dover began to march forward, tugging on Cody's hand. Taylor followed as if lead by a string. Cale jogged to catch up and slowed next to Taylor. He looked over Taylor's clothing, which was soaked and splattered with mud, water, and something dark. He looked up to Taylor's face, which was almost hidden beneath his bangs.
"Tai? What did you do last night?" Cale asked slowly.
He stopped, a grimace flashing across his face. "… Something I needed to do."
Everyone else stopped to stare back at him. "Like what?" Dover prodded. Taylor didn't respond. Dover stared for a moment, looking Taylor over, who had started to shake. "Jesus. Please don't tell me you did something really stupid."
"What? What did Uncle do?" Cody bleated, tugging on Dover's hand.
"I had to do it, Dover… I just had to…"
"Oh, bullshit! Did you think killing him is going to make everything all better? That it's going to bring her back?" Dover snarled, voice escalating. "Well it's not going to happen, Taylor! They're DEAD!" Taylor flinched. "Dead, and they're not coming back! Not Melody, or Nekane, or Ric, or… or Kaelin… they're gone! Nothing's going to make that all better!"
"I KNOW!" Taylor yelled back, cutting him off. "I just… I… I could never be free, knowing that he's still out there. I had to show him. I had to show him what he did to us."
Dover stared at Taylor, scowling, then turned away and began to walk again. Cody followed reluctantly. Cale looked back and forth between the two of them.
"Is it true? Did you really kill that guy?" Cale asked, incredulous.
Taylor gazed down at the ground, watching the water flow around the rocks. "I don't know. I wanted to, Cale. I tried." He began to walk again.
Cale stared at Taylor's back, and thought of the scars crisscrossing underneath. He thought of the screams he had heard beneath the window, the sheer terror and pain turned into a sound, the way it pierced into his soul. He thought of Cody, a child who didn't even know what parents were. For a moment he felt he understood. I would have killed him. I would have torn him apart. With a sigh, he began to follow after, the sky lightening above them.
The backwater planet never really received any attention from any particular galactic empire, and thus had been left to fester in its own cosmopolitan population. An aristocracy of landowners composed the upper crust of society, the wealthiest at the forefront. Except as a stopover for travelers, the planet ran free of foreign contamination. All species ran by the rule of the wealthy; species did not matter much as long as one had the cash to back it. This atmosphere had a natural allure to outcasts seeking refuge and success, as well as the general scum. Downtown was home to all the debtors, drug lords, prostitutes, and slavers that could coexist in one space. Here you kept your eyes down, or you'd end up dead or on the auction block. The only thing the aristocracy cared to protect was their own property and profit. Everyone and everything else were on their own.
The small group of runaways huddled together as they walked down the city street, making sure to keep their eyes on the sidewalk. All except for Cale, whose curiosity was too overwhelming and pride too strong. He tagged along, glancing about at the bars on the windows, the hollow eyes of the city inhabitants. Eye contact would be returned with a threatening snarl or dead glare. Cale clutched his fists and looked away.
"Just a couple more blocks," Cale said to the others, dodging out of the way of a sauntering alien that cursed as it went past.
"Stop fidgeting, Cale," Dover hissed. "You want to get us killed?"
"Sorry. This place just really puts me on edge," Cale muttered, blinking at a group of prostitutes who waved as they walked by. Cale blushed and turned his gaze to the ground.
After a few blocks, they found themselves in front of a traveler's hotel. The clean, bright atmosphere of the inside might have seemed out of place, if it wasn't for the bars on the windows. Cale stopped. "This is it, I think."
Everyone stopped to glance up at the hotel. "Nice. Now what? We can't exactly waltz into a place like this, can we?" Dover remarked. Taylor twitched nervously as a constabulary walked past, eyeing them suspiciously.
"We're sneaking in," Cale replied. "You guys stay out here, I'll handle this." Making a vain attempt at brushing some of the mud off his clothes, Cale walked forward past the sliding glass doors.
"Great. We're screwed," Dover whistled as the door shut.
The lobby was relatively empty, with the exception of a careworn alien slumped in one of the chairs, and a tall alien behind the front desk. Cale swaggered forward and leaned on the counter. The alien was busily tapping computer screens with each of its six arms. He (at least, as much as he could tell) did not seem to notice him – or, at least, was attempting not to. Cale finally cleared his throat and his head snapped up, eyes narrowed. The arms continued to move on their own. "May I help you, sir?" His nose slits flared in disgust as he took in his bedraggled appearance. Cale grinned sheepishly.
"Yeah, uh… my name is uh… Cecil Tennett… you called about a rodent infestation?"
He glared at Cale for a moment, eyes narrowing. "Infestation?" He echoed. "We don't have any sort of infestation, and I certainly don't remember calling you."
"Well, uh… you see, I talked to someone in management named…" His eyes darted to a number of staff awards on the wall. "Dynzl, yeah, he gave me a call last night, said it was pretty urgent. Said they were eating into the desks and such. Nasty for business, you know... if they spread to the rooms, what a disaster…"
The alien glanced down at his desk and whipped his arms away, perturbed. "Indeed… well…" He eyed Cale again, weighing the horrible implications of unseen pests against Cale's disturbing appearance. "I'll just go have a word with Mr. Dynzl… if you'll wait here, sir…"
"Thank you very much," Cale called at his back. He watched until the alien disappeared through a staff door and turned, rushing back outside as inconspicuously as possible.
"So?" Taylor asked, voice strained and off pitch.
Cale fumbled around his pockets, pulling out a card key. "I think they're gonna be busy for a little while."
Dover snatched the card out of Cale's hand. "Perfect. Let's get inside." Before Cale could protest, Dover was marching into the hotel. The others hurried after. Cody clutched onto Dover's fingers.
"Where are we going?" Cody asked, craning his neck up to see Dover's face.
"We're gonna see Cale's uncle," Dover replied as they headed for the stairs. "He's gonna help us go away from this place."
"Uncle's uncle? He like Master?"
"No, nothing like Master," Cale interjected from behind.
Cody turned his attention back to Cale, nearly stumbling as they stepped into a lift. "He nice?"
"Of course. Err… well, most of the time. Don't throw away food and he'll like you just fine."
Cody fell silent as he thought over what sort of person this man could be. The lift stopped at the third floor, and they began to walk past doors.
"29, 27, 25…" Dover muttered.
"Here we go," Cale said as they stopped outside room 23C. He rapped his knuckles on the door. "Tek? You in there?"
There was a pause. "Cale? Is that you?" came a muffled voice behind the door.
Cale waved the cardkey over the lock and opened the door. Tek blinked at him from the other side. "Hey, miss me?"
"Cale! What have you been doing? Where have you been?" Tek's hand fumbled through the air until it rested on Cale's sleeve, feeling the mud crusted on the fabric. Cale squeezed into the room, the others following. Tek's yellow eyes widened at the sound of the extra footsteps. "Who's with you, Cale?"
Taylor stared at Tek, heart pounding. He bit his lip. "… H-hi, Tek."
"Is that you, Taylor? Oh my… well, it's good to see you, good to see you again. Best I can see, anyway," he said with a chuckle, running his hand over Taylor's arms and up to his face. "Bit taller than the last time I saw you, hmm, yes, skinnier too… but you were always so thin, what am I saying…" Tek's gaze strayed to Dover and Cody, who blushed and hid behind Dover's leg. "And who else is here?"
Dover stepped forward and took Tek's hand. "Dover's the name, nice to meet you, sir," Dover said with a smile, words smacking of ingrained propriety. Tek reluctantly shook Dover's hand, other hand grazing the numbers on the inside wrist. "The little one is Cody. Say hi, Cody."
Cody glanced out from behind Dover and curled his stubby fingers.
"Well, hello ther— wait, wait a second here." Tek glanced over his shoulder at where Cale now stood. "I thought you were just going to talk, Cale. Did you talk?"
"Err… well yeah, yeah, we talked…"
"And? He just agreed to hand them all over, hmm?"
Cale shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Uh, not exactly… well… you know me, Tek…"
The Vusstran held his brow in his hand. "Ah, Cale, I was afraid of that… so, how long until the police arrive?"
Dover grinned. "Sharp, sir." If possible, Taylor grew a bit paler.
"Well, I figured we'd just camp out here for a bit and uh… haul it back to the Tau, what do'ya think?" Cale strolled into the room, attempting to be casual.
Tek sighed. "So much for the trip… hurry, then, get that door closed…"
Taylor shakily closed and locked the door. Dover nodded to Tek. "Thanks, sir, really appreciate it… hey, nice place you've got here." He turned to look around the room. It was relatively empty, except for a covered balcony in the back, a small table covered with holoscrolls, and a door leading to the restroom. He tapped a panel and a chair slid out of the wall. "Classy," he said, pulling the chair up to the table and flopping down.
Cale, meanwhile, was distracted by the luggage on the far end of the room. "Oh, thank god, dry pants…"
Tek stepped back, bemused. He held out his hand towards Taylor, who was hovering by the door. "Ah, Taylor, may I see you for a moment?"
"… Sure, Tek, what is it?"
For a moment he took in Taylor's appearance with his hands, from the torn and filthy clothing, to the heavily bruised and scarred arms, to the string of numbers etched into the left wrist. Enthralled, he traced the scar lines back on Taylor's arm; he turned to check the boy's back, but Taylor quickly turned away.
Tek stared blankly past Taylor. He was gazing blankly down at the floor, insides twisting in shame. He tried not to see the crinkle in Tek's face. "What have they done to you?" Tek murmured.
"Hey, Tai! Come here!" Taylor flinched and looked up, blinking. Cale waved him over. He shot Tek an apologetic look and walked over to Cale. Before he could get close enough, something hit his face. Startled, he pulled it off to find himself holding a shirt and pants. Cale smiled.
"Figured you might want something else to wear other than… you know, that," Cale said.
Dover tossed aside one of Tek's holoscrolls that he had been reading. "Heeey, got anything in there I could snag, buddy?"
Cale glared, but began to rummage through his suitcase. Taylor backed away, clutching the clothing. He caught sight of Tek staring blindly at him. Alarmed, he turned and darted into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. The lock clicked.
He glanced around the small room, taking deep breaths. The clothing he let drop next to the shower. His eyes strayed to a sink on the back wall and the small mirror above it. A passing thought made him remember when he used to sneak into retail bathrooms whenever he visited the city, just for a chance to wash in privacy. How nerve-wracking it had been just to have something as basic as privacy… how he hadn't actually taken a decent shower since… well, he didn't exactly remember. It was getting difficult to remember anything anymore, especially if it went back more than a few years. Again, his eyes strayed to the mirror, and he stepped towards it.
The reflection made him freeze. For a long moment he just stared back at the dead black eyes in the mirror. He watched the hand rise to touch the scar on the right cheek, where he had been hit on the trade station. The hand turned to push a lock of hair behind an ear, and as it turned he saw the numbers, upside-down but as dark as the eyes staring back at him. He gasped and recoiled. Shaking, he glanced at the shower and began to pull off his clothing, still somewhat damp from the mud. He flung them aside, trying to ignore the ominous stains on his shirt, filling his ears with the sound of thunder. He went over to the shower and tapped it on, trying to drown out the sound. He stepped inside and just stood, watching the water swirling around his feet, turning dark from all the caked dirt washing off. The hot water beat down on his head, coursing through his hair. He turned so the water massaged his back and let his thoughts drift into white.
The starlight gave her face an ethereal white glow, flowing smoothly down her cheeks, tear stained. Her watering eyes twinkled as she smiled, a smile that outshined the brilliance of her silver blonde hair, the strands turning wistfully in the night breeze.
"Melody…" She turned and looked at him. "One day, I… I swear I'll take you away from here. Far away. Where he won't be able to… hurt you anymore."
She smiled and looked away. "You already have, Tai… whenever I look into your eyes, we're far away… everything is so bright…" She looked up at the stars. "When I'm sad… I close my eyes… and I'm there with you. At the center of the sun."
He opened his eyes. Tears were running down his cheeks, lost in the shower. He breathed a shaky sigh; his chest was tight.
The bathroom door clicked open and he emerged, clean and dry. Dover and Cale were sitting at a circular table, bent over dishes of food. Taylor caught a whiff of it and his stomach growled. For the first time he realized he was starving. Since that day four years ago, this was usually something he ignored.
Dover and Cale looked up. "Hey, there you are. We were starting to think you were trying to--"
"Drown, yeah, I know," Taylor sighed.
Cale shook his head. "I don't know about you, but I've had enough water to last me for a while."
Dover swallowed and gestured to Taylor. "Hey, Taylor, check this out!" He held up a cube of something grayish red. "I have no idea what it is, but it's warm, and spicy, and meaty… did I mention it's meaty?" He began to wave the cube around. "You know you want it, Taylor… the power of the meat compels you…"
Taylor snatched the cube out of Dover's hand. "Where's Tek?" he asked before popping it into his mouth.
"Wen ta go 'et pane tehkets," Cale replied through a mouth full of food.
"Figured it would be less suspicious if we didn't all go. Nice guy. Don't know how you let him get away," Dover added with a sniff.
Taylor sat in the chair next to Dover and began to pick at his food. Suddenly ravenous, he started to shovel it into his mouth. In-between bites he asked, "Where's Co'y?"
Dover jerked his head over to a bed that had been pulled out of the wall. Cody was barely visible, curled up in a nest of blankets. "Ate like an incinerator and fell right to sleep."
Feeling nauseated, Taylor pushed away from the table. He fished for something to say, but only one thing came to mind. "Do you think they'll find us here?"
There was an awkward silence. "Of course not…" Cale begun to say.
"I hope not," Dover corrected. "But it was a long shot in the first place. At least we went down with a fight, huh?" He gave a feeble laugh.
Taylor stared blankly down at the table. "I'm sorry… this was a mistake… we never should have done this…"
Cale threw down his fork. "What, you'd rather be back there?" he snapped. "Pawing all over that shithead and catering to his every whim like a dog? Getting the crap beat out of you all the time for no good reason? Is that what you want, Tai? That sound good to you?"
"I didn't want this, Cale!" Taylor yelled back. "I didn't want any of this! You think you can scold me like you were there, huh? Where were you? Where were you, Cale?"
"Looking for your sorry ass! Though now I think I'm starting to regret it. I should have left you there."
"Hey, I got myself out! You didn't do shit. You've never done anything for me. It's all about you, brilliant Cale Tucker and his genius father. Where's Daddy now?"
Cale's face turned bright red. "You know what, forget it, Tai… just forget it." He stood up, scraping his chair on the floor, and glared down at Taylor. "You're right. The Tai I knew is dead." He stormed to the bathroom and slammed the door.
Cody stirred and blinked. "What's happening?"
"Nothing, Cody. Go back to sleep, okay?" Dover said to him. Cody nodded and turned away.
Taylor stared down at the floor, feeling Dover's stare burning on the back of his head. "What was that all about?" Dover asked, voice low.
"Why do you care?" Taylor muttered.
"Hey, look… I know I said a lot of crap about that guy, but he really does try. It's just not fair to hold the past against him. I don't know what things were like for you two before… you know… but it's a lot to throw away. Jesus, I… I'd hunching kill to see my family again. Just once." Taylor blinked up at Dover in surprise. It was the first time he had heard Dover that close to tears since Kaelin died. "So… so shut up with this bitter crap, okay? It's bad enough we fight all the time without the two of you going at it, too."
Taylor sighed and stood up. "I think I'm going to get to bed. I'm really tired," he mumbled. He wandered next to the bed, pulling an extra blanket off and curling up on the floor with his face hidden.
Dover watched him for a while and gave a long sigh. Slowly, he got up and began to tap out the lights.
