Chapter 7: Shelter in the Shadows
Chapter 7: Shelter in the Shadows
"Thank you, Kyko! Let's go help them."
Both ran toward the crashed spaceship.
Smoke was billowing from the broken structure of the spaceship. Zylxa and Exo cautiously approached it.
"Keep your weapons ready. We don't know what condition the people inside are in. Fear can turn humans into killers."
Exo nodded in agreement.
The condition of the pod indicated that the crash had been severe. Yet, two lives had not given up.
"The walls and doors of this pod are made of the same strong material. This metal isn't available in our galaxy."
"What do you mean?"
"It means you don't have any option to cut this metal. So, to open it, you need to motivate the lives inside. Otherwise, this pod will explode on its own in a few minutes."
"Diamond cuts diamond, iron cuts iron. This metal will be cut by the same. We..."
Exo gathered the scattered pieces and then took a sharp piece, joining it to strike the door. Zylxa said, "Give it to me, I'll hit it."
"This is possible, but... maybe it's not necessary." Kyko fell silent.
After some time, a hole appeared in the door. Zylxa used her superhuman strength to make a gap in the door, and they entered the pod.
In the haze of smoke and flickering emergency lights, they saw three figures. A man was lying down, his breathing faint. Beside him, a girl was pressing her trembling fingers against his wounds, trying to stop the blue blood. A small boy stood in front of them, holding a large weapon that was too big for his hands. His wide eyes darted between Zylxa and Exo, his fear evident.
Exo gestured with his hand, "Calm down, child. We are not here to harm you."
Zylxa, who always believed more in actions than words, swiftly disarmed the boy with a quick move. The weapon clattered to the floor and rolled away.
"You are too small to handle this," she said.
The boy hesitated but didn't step back—his defiance was clear on his face.
"Children, don't be scared in shock," Exo said reassuringly.
"Okay, you take them out. I'll bring him."
Zylxa signaled Exo to take the two children outside. They resisted at first but agreed to go when the man gestured. As they exited, the pod caught fire behind them.
"You stay here, I need to go help Zylxa," Exo started to head back to the pod, but Zylxa came out alone. Behind her, the pod exploded.
A terrible roar shook the earth again, and a burst of fire and water shot up. Exo lost his balance and fell to the ground. He quickly got up and took the children to the shelter of a nearby large tree. The children clung to him, trembling with fear.
In the rush, Zylxa had dived into the river to save herself.
After some time, she emerged from the river.
"Are you okay?" Exo asked.
"Yes, are the children safe?"
Exo nodded, "Yes, but they are scared."
She turned away from the burning pod.
"Well, let's go to the waterfall."
"You..."
"Yes, this was his last wish. He probably knew about the explosion. He wanted a peaceful death rather than burning. I couldn't do anything more for him."
"Yes, I understand."
"These children weren't born, they were created as experimental assets in a lab."
The girl said fearfully, "No, that's a lie. I am Wexy." She pointed to the boy. "This is Rondo. We are alive. Please let us live."
"Wexy! Don't be afraid, children. You are completely safe with us," Exo reassured them.
Then Wexy said with a trembling voice, "They wanted to kill us. They said our birth was against the laws of nature. That's why they dumped us here through a dimensional portal."
Zylxa looked at Exo. Then she called Wexy and Rondo to her and embraced them. There were tears in her eyes, which Exo had never seen before.
"I am Kyko! In my new form."
"We should take this metal piece with us. Better weapons and tools can be made from it."
"Any other orders, my lord," Exo said jokingly, making everyone laugh.
Then they gathered the pieces of the pod and headed towards the waterfall.
When they reached the waterfall, the sun was setting.
"Kyko! Scan the area and tell us about any safe place," Zylxa asked, stopping.
"There is a natural rocky wall-like mountain on one side, dense trees on the other. On the far side, the flow of the waterfall's water provides a kind of invisibility and a slightly elevated place from where you can monitor far and wide."
"Yes! This will work," Zylxa agreed.
"Are you planning to stay here?" Exo asked curiously.
"We have children with us. They need shelter. I need a workshop. There doesn't seem to be any way back for now. How long do we have to keep running?"
Without waiting for an answer, she took out a plasma cutter and started cutting into the rock. The cutting light glowed on the stone.
"Where did you get this plasma cutter?"
Zylxa continued cutting the rock without answering. Soon, she made a door-like opening. Then she started cutting the inside.
"Are you going to keep asking questions or help a little?"
"You are our master. It is our duty to follow your orders."
Zylxa glared and handed the plasma cutter to Exo. Exo found the cutter heavy. He muttered, "Isn't there anything heavier than this?"
Zylxa, annoyed, muttered to herself and started cutting again. The children also started laughing.
"I am Kyko! 23° south of this waterfall, 70 miles away, some strange signals are being detected. But it's not clear if it's life, an animal, or a danger."
"Okay, this cave is almost ready." And he started cutting quickly. Seeing this, smiles returned to everyone's faces.
Wexy turned to Rondo and said, "Okay, let's help too."
"What can we do?"
"You are still children. Talk to Kyko!"
"Hoo! I am Kyko! I am not programmed to talk to children."
"Well! I am Kyko!"
The children laughed too.
Before the sun set, Zylxa and Exo had carved the mountain from the inside into a cave-like shape. They pulled a large rock to partially close the door opening.
Wexy and Rondo brought the collected items—pieces of the spaceship, fruits, and anything else useful—into the cave.
As the sun set, darkness spread. Zylxa made a torch from some broken fuel coils. Then she lit the torch and gave the children protein bars to eat.
She handed Exo a fruit and started eating one herself.
"Waheguru! I don't know in which corner my share of food and water was scattered, today I had to come to this land to eat," Exo said with a cold sigh.
"Who are you talking to?" Zylxa asked curiously.
"I am Kyko! After so much has happened in life, if you are still alive, you are being given something. Then you should be grateful, not complain."
"One Kyko, another Psycho. Both are beyond my understanding. Come on, children, let's sleep."
In the next moment, silence spread in the cave.
End of Chapter 7
