Between Two Worlds

I run into the back of Altair and pull myself from my thoughts. Backpedaling a few steps, I ask, “What’s going on? Why did we stop?”

“We have arrived.” He states, shoving Kat hard enough that she falls to the ground.

I look around the dimly lit cavern. A few Pulsis lamps have been hung at varying intervals on the walls, casting dim light throughout the large cavern. Against the left wall, not far from me, I can see what looks like a pile of clothing. I try not to think about why it’s there. There’s something, white laying a few feet to my right. Curious I walk over to it, bend down, pick it up, and then examine it. As I turn it over in my hands, I realize what it is, a human skull. I shriek and drop it; it makes a dull thud sound and rolls out of my line of sight. “Arrived? Where in the world are we?” I ask, watching as Kat climbs back to her feet.

“The nesting site.” Is all he says.

“The nesting site? What nesting site? Why are we here?”

“The nesting site of the Kreuzung. We are here for the Cleansing, remember?”

“Nesting site of the Kreu what? What is that word you said?” I ask, confused.

“I told you all of this earlier. Don’t you remember? You must not be as well as I thought. The Kreuzung. The creature I captured on a moon in the Nashoba Galaxy. Technically, that creature was genetically enhanced, and I created a new creature, that new creature is called a Kreuzung.” He explains.

“But why?”

Altair shrugs his shoulders. “I don’t know, I just sort of like the name.”

“That’s not what I meant. What I meant is why did you create that... thing? Why would you enhance something already so dangerous?” I ask.

“Think of them as guard dogs. They protect the planet from being invaded by outsiders.”

“I thought that’s why you had the planet shielded.”

“It is. So then think of them as a way for me to keep people in line. Keep them from doing anything out of the way. A reminder of who the boss really is around here.”

“I thought the Dini are peaceful?” I say.

“For the most part, we are. But how do you think that happens? Through fear. If the people are afraid to break the rules, then they will follow them. The rules keep the Dini peaceful and the Kreuzung keeps the Dini following the rules.”

“Oh. You said I was supposed to have figured it out? How would I know any of that?” I ask.

“The scavenger hunt. The last item. The hair. You ran into the creature before then as well. The night you to ventured outside. The panic in everyone’s voices when they realized one of the creatures got inside. The singing. Does any of this sound familiar?” Altair asks.

“Yes, I remember the scavenger hunt. You just threw me when you started explaining what the creature is called. I never heard the name before. And then you said I was supposed to remember what you said. As if I heard the creature’s story before today.”

“But you have.” He says turning and grabbing a hold of Kat’s arm. “This one here, she told you about it. She told you all about running into one when she was younger. She even told you she suspected I was involved in the genetic manipulation of the Kreuzung’s forerunner.”

How does he know this? We talked about that in the safety of Kat’s apartment. I look over at Kat and she seems just as surprised as I feel.

“I bet you are wondering how I know all of this. How could I possibly know about a conversation that happened in private.” He sneers in Kat’s face.

“You are a product of the Ghemin too, aren’t you? They must have turned you into a mind reader or something.” I say.

His face momentarily registers shock, but the sneer quickly replaces that. “So, our little Copaie warrior hacked into my computer mainframe, did she?”

Oops. I think I let too much slip. “No. I was just taking a wild guess.”

Altair places one hand on Kat’s throat and starts to squeeze. “Someone is a little too nosey for her own good.”

“Altair! Stop!” I shriek, as I watch Kat struggle to free herself, but with her hands tied behind her back, she doesn’t stand a chance. “The Cleansing! Remember how important the ceremony is!” Anything to get him to stop!

He continues to choke her and I’m starting to think I was wrong about the importance of the ceremony when he finally releases his grip on her throat. “You are right. The ceremony has to happen.”

I sigh in relief. “Can I ask why the Cleansing ceremony is so important?” I probably don’t want to know. I do need to keep him talking until I can figure out a plan.

“The Cleansing ceremony,” he says walking toward the center of the cavern. I follow close behind, curious as to what’s going to happen next. He stops near a metal post with a rope dangling from a metal ring in the center of the post. “is important because it keeps the Kreuzung fed and away from town.” In one hand, he takes hold of the rope tying Kat’s hands together, and in his other hand, he grabs hold of a rope hanging from the center of the post. He quickly ties the rope binding Kat to the one attached to the post.

“But it doesn’t work, not really,” I say. “That one night it was loose in town; I heard a noise that sounded like singing. It was close by.”

“That’s my fault. We hadn’t had a Cleansing ceremony in a few weeks. The Kreuzung was hungry.”

“Can’t you just feed it something already dead?”

“No, we tried that at the start. It prefers fresh meat. It prefers to kill its own food.”

“Okay, but shouldn’t it be well fed by now?” A shiver of fear runs through my body. “Didn’t you just have a ceremony for Gelyan and Carina?”

“Yes, we did. And the Kreuzung may not be hungry now. It might just leave Kat here for a few days. Then again, it might eat her as well. I don’t know much about their eating habits. It’s a little hard to study something that could eat you. We aren’t exactly rolling in volunteers.”

“So, we are going to stay here until it eats her?” I ask feeling nauseous.