Planet Of No Return

Flame and smoke erupted suddenly from the hillside, sending metal fragments sleeting through the boughs and into the trees. Ravn was lifted from his feet, broken, hurled aside. The sound of the explosion crashed out, and in the silence that followed, the wail of the retreating hunters keened loudly. Even as Brion hurled himself to the ground, dragging Lea with him, a second explosion hurled broken boughs and fragments of tree trunk from the forest above. This time Brion was aware of an echoing explosion from the plain behind them, and turned to see an armoured tank drawn up beside the stream. It’s long gun, pointing in their direction, vanished suddenly behind a cloud of flame-pierced smoke. The third shell struck even further up among the trees where the men had disappeared.

As suddenly as it had begun, the firing stopped. The scarred slope was empty except for the huddled corpse. The Hunters were gone. Without a visible target the operator nosed the gun back and forth — then the tank spun away as the turret was traversed. Dust spurted from the treads as the tank got under way.

“Don’t move until it’s out of sight,” Brion said. “We don’t know what kind of detectors it has aboard. I don’t know who is manning that thing, but they certainly don’t seem to like the natives.”

“Could they possibly be the same people, their descendents I mean, of the ones who destroyed that mine we found?”

“There is every possibility … wait, look!”

High above them the sun glinted on silver wings, diving downwards. One instant the two aircraft were tiny specks, a moment later they grew to dart-shaped forms that dived faster than the speed of sound. Down they came, one behind the other, aiming for the solitary tank. The tank operator must have detected them as well because it spun about on its treads, but it was too late. Dark specks separated from the planes as they soared upwards again in tight arcs. Explosions hid the tank from sight as the squealing roar of the jets tore at their ears. There was silence as the smoke and dust drifted slowly away, revealing the shattered and smoking ruin of the tank.

Brion put his arm about Lea, helping her to her feet, feeling the trembling of her slim body.

“It’s all right, it’s over now. We’re not hurt.”

“It’s impossible. I can’t stand this place any more. Nothing but violence and death and killing …” Her voice broke; he kept his arm about her.

“We knew that before we came. We made the choice. All we can do now is finish the job. Do what must be done …”

She pushed his arm away from her. “You’re a sanctimonious swine! Unfeeling and uncaring — with as much human feeling as a piece of wood. Don’t touch me …”

He obeyed her, knowing that was all he could do for the moment. He was trained for stress, his planet was a harsh and brutal one, while Lea came from an overcrowded and over civilized world. She had been forced to come too far, too quickly. Now she needed some time to recover.

They were secure in the trees, so the best thing they could do for the moment was remain in hiding until they were absolutely sure the sudden, deadly conflict was definitely over. He opened the bag and found the vodka. He poured out a cupful, and brought it over to her. She took it without a word, her face strained and white, and sipped from it. Brion went past her to the edge of the grove and looked out across the plain. It was empty and silent save for the smoking ruin of the tank.

“What do we do next?” she asked, coming up behind him.

“Send for the ship. Get you to safety.”

“Is it wise to land the lifeship here?”

“No. But we have little choice. I cannot submit you to these conditions any longer.”

Lea dug a small plastic comb from her pocket and pulled it through the worse tangles of her hair. “It’s a little late to turn back. I don’t like it — but I do remember that I volunteered. Despite your protests. I made this bed, so I had better learn to lie in it.”

“You don’t have to.”

“Yes I do. I’m the wrong sex for all the macho and big strong man sort of thing, but I still have my pride. When you stop to think about it, after that last planet we were on this one really is a picnic spot. Isn’t it time to go on?”

Brion realized that there was nothing he could say. Silence was really the only answer now. She knew what she was doing, knew how she felt and what the risks were. He may have had all of the brawn — but he realized suddenly that her determination was the same as his. Or stronger. She would see that the job was finished.

“I want to take a closer look at that tank,” he said, later, after the flames had died and the dust long settled. She nodded.

“Of course. There’ll be records, fragments of clothing, identification, something. It’s about time we did something beside mix with the natives. When should we go?”