Trudging through the ashes
Cursive text is in Na'vi
Jake, Neytiri and Thomas were walking amongst the rocky hills and cliffs, with Thomas taking the lead, the other two following a short distance behind. Keeping the ravine to their left, they climbed up one hillside, then down another, then up again. On and on it seemed to go. They walked for a few hours, then rested for a short while, then continued for the next few hours. Their longest stop had been half an hour in length, when they had found a safe area to remove their masks so they could eat a meal. Their masks had been worn on and off as needed, Jake and Thomas keeping a close eye on their gas meters. Now the sun was starting to set and in all probability they would be stopping for the night soon.
Despite the warnings so far they had seen no one else. No wildlife either, and vegetation was limited to a few hardy, yellowed shrubs nestling between the rocks.
"I don't think seen a land with this little life. It's unsettling. It's just so… empty. Is this common? Of their world?" Neytiri asked.
"Too common. Earth is varied though, with different environments. Much like our world. There are places that are supposed to be all lush and green, but instead look a lot like this. And that was back when I was living on this world, which was many years ago. Who knows what the situation is now." Jake admitted. "This here though? I haven't been in these lands before, but from what I've heard they've always been on the arid side. Might not be too out of the ordinary."
"But on the other hand since are getting closer to a Red Zone, I can't imagine this is entirely how things are supposed to be, either." He added glumly.
"And what exactly is a *Red Zone*? It has been mentioned a few times now." She asked.
"It, uh, has to do with a way of the Sky People group different lands based on how livable they are. The ones they call Green Zones are the least impacted by any harmful effects. Life there goes on pretty much like it was before the mistakes of the Sky People started piling up and began killing this world. There might be some issues, but usually the easily ignored kind. Fewer and fewer of those Zones every year the last I heard." He explained.
"Yellow Zones are still livable, but it's harder. The problems get to levels you can't avoid noticing, though many try anyway. You might need special measures to get by. Where I used to live was considered a yellow zone. And the air there could get so bad many took to wearing masks outdoors."
"Masks like the ones we have been wearing now?" She asked.
He shook his head. "Nothing that heavy duty. Mostly it was just a face covering, to keep harmful stuff from irritating your throat and casing long term health trouble. The masks like we have been using are for situations when there would be a risk of death or serious injury."
That admission gave Neytiri pause. "Death? I know what happens to Sky People who don't wear the masks back home. And I thought you had to have good reasons to keep using them here. But I didn't expect it to be that bad."
"You could have said something." She commented.
"I would've if you'd tried to go not using them. But you seemed to catch on by yourself." He replied.
"Still, I would have wanted to know that the air can murder us." She insisted.
"I seriously doubt it would be instant death in any case. But hours on end in a bad area… that could be bad for you without protection." He countered. "But there are also safer regions, as you've seen. Keeping track of it is what this device is for." He added, tapping his gas meter.
"So why are some areas more dangerous than others? The same air is what surrounds us everywhere we go." She asked.
"Well that's because it's not the air itself that's the danger. It's what's being put in it. You've seen Sky People structures that constantly belch smoke into the air. Somewhere far ahead there are places like that. And that smoke is carried by the winds here." He explained.
"So it's not just about where, but also when?" She guessed.
"Yup. Wind direction is a big factor on when it might be dangerous. And the shape of the terrain, which can change where the smoke goes. The problem is the smoke is not just the kind of stuff you might get from, say, a campfire. A lot nastier stuff in there than that. Some of it is heavier than the air we breathe, so it eventually drifts down and settles in low lying areas. And that can leave pockets of lingering danger. Other stuff drifts in the clouds until it comes down with rain. And that's a reason there are areas of poisoned ground here." He detailed.
"Still, I'm quite sure where we are now is still considered a Yellow Zone. Even if it might be a bit of a borderline case…" He added.
"So… you've explained Green Zones to me. And Yellow Zones. Are Red Zones worse than those then?" She asked.
Jake's expression turned somber. "Yeah. They are. Red Zones… for one reason or another they've been lost. If this world is dying, then those are the parts that have already died. Nothing lives there."
"And… that's what lies ahead of us?" She asked.
Jake nodded. "And we'll need to pass through it."
"Look… I'm not going to lie to you. It's going to be a hard crossing. And not just physically tough. Emotionally too. It's hard to see that, especially if you're seeing it for the first time. And, well… it's going to be different from anything you're used to seeing." He continued.
"Still, for you the bigger shock might be ahead when we get to the other side and get to the…" He began to say before stopping suddenly. For a moment Neytiri was confused by the sudden interruption before directing her eyes to where Jake was looking.
Ahead of them Thomas had stopped at the top of the next ridge line. He had done that often during their journey so far. Taking a moment to check their surroundings for danger before having them continue on. But this time something was different. He turned around and began running and sliding down the ridge toward them. Then they heard it: the droning rumble of spinning rotor blades, bouncing off the hills around them, growing louder by the minute.
"Come on! We need to find cover! Right now!" Thomas shouted as he ran to them. The two of them turned around and began to run as well, eyes frantically looking for some place to hide.
After a few moments Neytiri spotted a tiny cave between the rocks.
"There!" She shouted, pointing hastily as she hurried towards it, the other two right at her heels. She went in first, going as far into the cramped space as she could. Jake clambered in afterwards pressing close to her. A few moments later Thomas arrived, bumping into them as he rushed in. There in the dark, packed together, they peered past each other as they waited for the inevitable appearance of the machine.
The Kestrel rotorcraft came into view flying low, moving slowly as it followed the ravine. This late in the evening they could see spotlights near the nose of the aircraft, sweeping the cliffs to the either side of the aircraft, like seeking eyes. In the light Neytiri thought she could just make out the shape of a door gunner on the side facing them.
Though it would do then little good, both Jake and Thomas had their pistols in their hands. Neytiri too sneaked a hand to feel the inside of her coat sleeve, where her knife was hidden. Even the smallest comforts to ward off the clenching feeling in her stomach. There was always an element of fear involved in facing the metal monsters of the Sky People, out of respect for their lethality. The kind of fear that sharpened your instincts and kept you alive. But rarely had she felt it quite like this. Back home, properly armed and flying their Ikran, she and Jake could have brought a machine like this down. But here they had none of those things. Here they were just prey, hiding from a deadly beast. And from the perspective of this tiny body she had been made to occupy, the thing looked so much larger…
All three of them instinctively winced when one of the spotlights swooped right by the entrance of the cave. They half, expected the door gun to open fire, or the gunship to turn and unleash a flurry of missiles on them. Instead the machine continued its slow advance along the ravine, shortly disappearing from view. They all breathed a collective sigh of relief.
They stayed in hiding until the noise of the engines had faded away entirely. Afterwards Thomas, being the closest to the entrance, cautiously stepped outside to check their surroundings, while Jake and Neytiri waited in the cave.
Several moments passed, after which he turned around and nodded to them. "We're clear. It's gone."
With that Jake and Neytiri also excited the cave.
"Well that was certainly a change of pace. So much for this being a pure trip of putting one foot in front of the other." Jake commented.
"Told you they patrol this region at times." Thomas said with a shrug.
"Glad we had cover this time around." Jake said.
"And lucky it was a flyer today. They don't usually stick around for long." Thomas echoed.
"So, let's continue on with it shall we?" Jake said.
Thomas looked back at the cave. "I think we've gone far enough today. It's going to be dark soon. I don't fancy wandering around in the pitch black. And that cave is a good hideout in case something else decides to sweep through here today. So let's get some shut eye and start again afterwards. We ought to reach the edge of the Red Zone early the next morning."
Thomas took a look at his wrist watch. "I'll take first watch. Jake, I'll wake you up in two hours' time. And she can take the next watch after you. And then I'll take the final hour and a half again. I'll give you my clock after my shift so you can keep track of the time."
"Alright." Jake said with a nod.
Thomas went to speak to his radio. "Team is done for the day, going for a rest. Situation normal. Will continue on tomorrow. Over."
Neytiri was about to remove her mask before stopping herself, giving Jake a questioning look. He checked his gas meter, then took a moment to consider. "It's safe enough for now. But we might want to keep them on in case that changes while we sleep."
"Whoever is on watch can keep track of it and alert the others if necessary. But it's certainly safer to keep them on. Less chance of an interrupted sleep that way too." Thomas supplied. "Up to you."
Again Jake considered for a moment. "I think we're better off keeping them on for now."
Neytiri nodded, with some reluctance keeping her mask on. While Thomas remained outside, Jake and Neytiri clambered back into the cave, as far in as they could. There wasn't much room inside, but the two made themselves as comfortable as they were able, with Neytiri ending up resting her head on his shoulder. Jake thought they might pick up their conversation from before the aircraft had interrupted them. But after thinking how best to broach the subject he realized she was already fast asleep. He gave her a small smile before drifting off to sleep as well.
Thomas's and Jake's watches passed uneventfully. He then went to wake her up for hers. As they stepped outside the cave she looked up at the Sky.
"Such a different sky…" She mused to herself. Her eyes briefly examined the pale sickle of a moon hanging overhead before moving on. Her look turned disapproving. "As drab the ground beneath our feet."
"It doesn't compare, that's for sure." Jake commented.
Continuing to look up, she turned her head slowly, eyes moving from star to star. Jake guessed what she was trying to find. He spent a few moments searching himself.
Then he pointed up. "There. That's the sun of our home."
She turned her eyes to where he was pointing. "That one? That tiny dot of light? It's so… small. I guess I shouldn't expect any different, but… it's just so far away."
She found herself a rock to sit down on, not removing her gaze from their home star. Jake took a seat next to her. They stayed there for some time. But after a while Jake suppressed a yawn. It caused Neytiri to finally turn her eyes from the sky.
"You should get some more sleep. I'll stand watch over us." She told him.
"Are you sure? I'm okay with keeping you company if you like." He said.
"I'll be… fine. I suspect we have a long walk tomorrow as well. We'll both need our strength." She replied.
Jake considered for a moment. "Alright."
He handed the clock to her. "Try not to do too much stargazing, alright? We need to stay alert in case something tries to sneak up on us. And do remember to walk around every now and then, so you don't fall asleep."
She chuckled. "I know how this works. That much at least."
"Uh, one thing though, before you go." She added just as Jake was just about to head back into the cave.
"Our guide… he said he will have one more watch tonight. How will I know when it's time for me to wake him?" She asked.
Jake frowned, not quite understanding the question. "Well… that's what the clock is for."
"Yes, but… how do I…?" She asked looking at the clock in puzzlement.
"I mean, you just look at the numbers and use that to tell the time." He explained, still not quite understanding what the difficulty was.
"Numbers…? And… those would be the glowing markings on this device I suppose?" She asked.
A realization finally began to dawn on him. "You… do know how numbers work right?"
"I mean, I do know how to count, obviously. I'm not an idiot. But these markings don't mean anything to me if that's what you're asking." She replied.
A moment's stunned silence from Jake.
"O-okay… well, even if you don't which mark is what number, you do know how to read in general, right? I mean Grace had books in her school." He asked, though he already had a nagging suspicion what the answer might be.
"She was the one who read to us. She did mention this skill from time to time. And I do get that she was able to glean information from the pages, by looking at the markings. But she thought it was most important to teach us how to speak and understand English. Maybe she had plans to teach us about reading too at some point. But she never had the chance before… well before it all came to a stop." She explained.
Jake blew out a slow breath, rubbing the back of his head. All these years and he had somehow totally missed the fact that his wife was illiterate. He supposed her disinterest in most human things meant there had not been many opportunities to discover that fact. And come to think of it the People didn't measure time in the same way humans did either. Days were days of course, and they did keep track of the changing seasons. But the precise timekeeping of hours, minutes and seconds were not something the Na'vi had ever needed. But now she was straight in the middle of human central, without even a grasp of one of the most basic skills one might need here. This just kept on getting more complicated as time went by.
And of course they were dealing with a digital watch, so he couldn't explain it through the positioning of the arms either…
"Alright, alright…. give me a moment to try to think of a way to make this make sense to you." He said.
Taking the clock back from her he checked it for an alarm function. But no such luck. And on the other hand he supposed he didn't want anything out here that could cause too much noise. Scratching his chin, he tried to think of another solution. He then knelt down, checked the time and began to traces numbers in the sand beneath their feet.
"So, by estimation it's been about half an hour since your watch started. And judging by the time now, it should be about this time you ought to go wake up Thomas. Look for these four marks on the clock. When they appear together in this order, then it's time. Will be around three times the length of time we've already been out here." He explained to her.
"Do you think you can do it like that?" He asked.
"… I think so." She said somewhat hesitantly while looking down at the numbers in the ground.
"Just in case I'll try to wake up a little bit earlier, so I can be there to point it out to you." Jake told her.
"Alright." Neytiri said, nodding.
"And if you feel like you need to, don't hesitate to come wake me, either. Even if it's just to talk." He added.
"Won't be forgotten. Now go on." She replied, and he returned to the cave.