13 comments

Science Fiction Fiction

Hey, guys! I know ya'll are probably getting frustrated with this series, but I've got a whopper ending to the novel and (hopefully) an awesome sequel, so I don't know what to do. Please tell me whether I should stop posting this series or not.



When Rune drifted back into consciousness, the first thing he noticed was, he was no longer in the technicians lab.

It was dark and the bed under him was soft.

Above him was the underside of another bed. He was in the bunkroom.

Rune sat up, having to duck to prevent his head colliding with the bed above him. He groaned, feeling the aches and pains of lying in a bed for several days. His keen eyes could see several other people lying in beds. It must be late, he thought.

The sarsh stood and exited the room. He was right, there were very few people out and the lights were dimmed. Someone had removed Rune’s boots, his bare feet made no sound on the floors.

“you’re up.”

Artemis’s voice startled Rune, but he didn’t show it, only turned. The older man was smiling slightly. Rune didn’t smile back. “I am. Did they succeed?”

“They did.”

“when do we go back?”

Artemis shook his head. “You’re not going back, I can’t jeopardize my men again. Your siblings are safe where they are, and there they will stay.”

Rune stepped toward Artemis, towering over him. “I am not leaving them on that ship, whether I have the help of your men or not!”

The rebel shook his head sadly. “As I said, they are safe, and you don’t need them, they will only distract you from your mission.”

“Your mission, you mean. I never wanted this! I’m not helping you unless I have my siblings, that was the agreement! I don’t have them, so I’m not helping!”

At Rune’s outburst, Artemis had assumed an extremely bored expression. “Well,” he said. “I guess I’ll just have to get rid of you then.” Rune glowered down at Artemis, turned and left.

The sarsh wandered through the empty, dark halls. He didn’t know where he was going, but he didn’t really care. Eventually, he found himself in the parking lot. It was empty, all the lights were off. Rune wandered to the corner and sat down, glad for the quiet. Dropping his head in to his knees, Rune tried to sort out his thoughts and get himself in order.

He needed to know his siblings were safe, but there was no way to do that without going to Zenith.

Rune didn’t want to help Artemis, whether or not he had his siblings with him. The humans were the ones in the wrong. They had destroyed Najwa; they had hurt sarsh; they had killed mass amounts of them during the Battle of Dominance, as someone had dubbed it. Now, under the sarsh’s noses, the humans were planning to push back and they needed Rune in order to do it.

A sigh echoed through the dark room. Rune felt a heavy, invisible weight that rested on his shoulders, on his heart. Both the futures of humans and sarsh lay in his hands, his shaky and uncertain hands. How was he supposed to fix this? Thinking of what Thaila said, Rune rose. He would go find her and talk to her about finding peace, about this lord.

He never got the chance.

As he searched for Thaila, he came across Artemis again. Instantly, Rune forgot about Thaila and glared daggers at the rebel.

For a minute, the two of them stood in the dim hall, facing each other. Rune glowering down at Artemis, muscled arms crossed. The older man just gazed at him levelly. “Have you come to your senses?” Artemis finally asked. Rune clenched his fingers into fists.

“I had my senses before, if I help you, I will be losing them. No, I’m not helping you. I don’t know who to help, what to do, where to go from here. Just, leave me alone already. I need a moment of peace and I don’t know how to find it.”

Artemis sighed. “I’m sorry, Rune, but this has to be done. Maybe where you are going, you will find peace. There will be no one there to bother you. You can make up your mind there.”

Now Rune was thoroughly confused, even more so as a dozen rebels tromped around the corner, led by Colden. They advanced on Rune, the sarsh saw they were all wearing armor, all carrying weapons. Their eyes were full of fear, locked on Rune. “What are you doing, Artemis?” Rune cried as the men surrounded him, forcing him to his knees. Artemis shook his head. “This is for the best. Where you’re going, you can make up your mind.”

Without another word, the rebels roughly clipped metal restraints around Rune’s body, pinning both his arms and digging into his ribs, squeezing his lungs.

He wheezed and strained against them, the metal warped slightly and if he had kept pushing, he would have broken through, but one of the men clocked him on the back of the head. “None of that.” he commanded.

The men dragged him to his feet and pulled him away, in the direction from where Rune had just come. They were going to the parking lot. Rune’s eyes were downcast, on his face, barely contained rage was evident. He could easily knock all these men to the floor and run, but he felt that was all he ever did.

He was always running, always fighting. And did it ever do him good?

The anger leaked from him, leaving him just tired and empty. He didn’t fight; he didn’t push back. He didn’t run.

Colden cast him a pitying glance, but Rune didn’t even see him. The sarsh’s ears were lying flat, almost invisible in his sky blue hair. His eyes seemed closed and as Colden watched, a tear slipped down his swarthy cheek. The sniper’s eyes widened. Sarsh were so tough, so militant. Never before had he seen one cry. Colden hesitated as the men herded Rune into the back of the black van he had come in. Twelve men boarded with him, sitting on benches lining the sides. They all carried guns.

He pursed his lips and shook his head, climbing into the driver’s seat. A few moments later, gears deep inside the covert churned. Light streamed through the front gate as they rose above water level. The black van drove out and the covert slipped back into the water, unseen.

In the darkness in the back of the van, listening to be breathing of a dozen men, Rune lay in an awkward position, with the lack of arms to catch himself, he fell onto his side. His head thumped against the vibrating floor and he lay still. What else was there to do?

His heart felt heavy, his eyes stung. He wished for hope, joy, love, something other than the misery and hopelessness that he felt weighing him down. But for the moment, he felt no peace and simply waited to arrive wherever Artemis sent him.

Frustration grew inside Rune as the minutes wore into hours. There was a painful cramp in his left side and his hand was asleep. He struggled upright and wriggled his left hand to bring feeling to it again, but he failed. The metal binds squeezed his chest and lungs and cut off his circulation. He grunted in pain, bringing the rebels’ attention to him. They couldn’t see well in the darkness, but Rune could. He saw the fear and pity in their eyes. The sarsh turned his back on them. To them, he was just a shadow among the shadows. No one said anything.

It took five hours to arrive at their destination. By then, black spots floated in Rune’s vision and he couldn’t feel his left arm. His ribs ached and his breath came fast. But he said nothing.

He didn’t utter a word as the twelve rebels escorted him out of the van and met with Colden.

They were in a dim room, very similar to the underwater covert. Rune’s cat-like eyes picked out a single vehicle in the room, a sarsh spacecraft. They weren’t staying on earth. Rune let out a long breath, glancing up when he felt eyes on him. Colden’s pale blue eyes connected with his, the rebel could see the pain and hopelessness in the sarsh’s eyes. Naturally, the rebels assumed it was because of their rough treatment. Colden knew where they were going, and he knew it would only prove to dampen the sarsh’s hope further. He heaved a sigh, shifting his weight. There was nothing he could do about it now.

Colden, the twelve rebels, and Rune filed into the spacecraft, Colden piloting. The rest of the rebels in the hold with Rune.

It was another several hours before the ship came to a slightly rough landing. One rebel pulled Rune to his feet and led him out. He stumbled, weakened and with a pounding head.

Rune blinked in the sudden light, his pupils thinned to barely visible slits. It was cold here.

Outside the ship, before Rune had time to take in his surroundings, the men released the metal binds and Rune gasped at the sudden, frigid air that flooded his deprived ribs. His head pounded from the loss of oxygen. Before he could react, the rebels streamed back into the ship and the back closed. On his hands and knees, catching his breath, Rune heard Colden’s voice behind him. “I’m sorry we have to do this, Rune. It’s for your own good. We’ll be watching.”

Without another word, the sniper climbed back into the ship and it rocketed away, leaving Rune behind.

March 29, 2021 20:39

You must sign up or log in to submit a comment.

13 comments

A.G. Looney
16:06 Mar 31, 2021

I changed my name. I'm Nebula now! Hope the names not taken, lol. Thx for following btw. Noodles(i think that's right)

Reply

Angel {Readsy}
07:22 Apr 23, 2021

Yes it is unique

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 1 reply
AntMan 🐜
21:51 Mar 29, 2021

😁Wow! I LOVED the ending!!!!! Awesome job! As for posting another one... This cliffhanger makes me really wonder where he is😅 The next one of these is DEFINITELY going to be great if you do one. I don't know who else is reading this, but I think it's great and fun to read! 😁

Reply

Creed .
21:59 Mar 29, 2021

Thank you so much! I am writing another! Thank you for reading!

Reply

AntMan 🐜
22:02 Mar 29, 2021

Of course! I love reading your stories! Also, I really admire you for writing like, 5 series at once 😅🤩 I can barely handle Felicia as it is 😂😅

Reply

Show 0 replies
Angel {Readsy}
07:23 Apr 23, 2021

Cool you are writing another I am fan of your writing

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 2 replies
Show 1 reply
TJ Squared
16:02 Nov 07, 2021

Reeeeeeeeeeeee wow but all he had to go through and then wham, exile aGaIn. I kept thinking throughout, ‘Is he going to get sedated again? How is he able to stand like 100 sedations? Is their way of solving problems just sedating them?’ Lol. But stillllllll whyyyyy Runeeeeeee whyyyyyy

Reply

Creed .
01:48 Nov 08, 2021

Be prepared for Rune to get beat up way, way, way too many times. My beginner writer flaw, lol.

Reply

TJ Squared
03:10 Nov 08, 2021

I noticed lol

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 1 reply
Show 1 reply
Angel {Readsy}
07:22 Apr 23, 2021

Riddle :-5 : incorrectly

Reply

Show 0 replies
Angel {Readsy}
07:20 Apr 23, 2021

Riddle :-4 : my name

Reply

Show 0 replies
Angel {Readsy}
07:18 Apr 23, 2021

Riddle :-3 letter E

Reply

Show 0 replies
Angel {Readsy}
07:13 Apr 23, 2021

Riddle 1 :- Snow. Very intellectual

Reply

Show 0 replies

Bring your short stories to life

Fuse character, story, and conflict with tools in the Reedsy Book Editor. 100% free.