The Light of Two Green Suns

Watching the huge double green suns slowly disappear beneath the surrounding grey mountains, Natalie was in awe of this planets pure beauty and strangeness. Ancient trees, some of them six or seven feet in circumference, surrounded her thrusting their bare black branches several hundred feet up into the darkening sky above. Earlier in the summer the trees had been dressed in a deep green canopy that hid the sky and the mountains. Now though, if only for a short time, Natalie could see again. A white humid haze that had settled across the wooded valley was slowly getting darker and thicker.

Beneath her butt she could feel the bark of the tree she was sitting on changing as it became smoother, blacker, and harder. All around her the forest was changing as it transformed itself to survive the dark winters of this forsaken colony so far from earth, from home. In a few moments the entire small colony would be plunged into darkness and a frigid cold that would last for eight long months.

“What’s up?” the deep baritone voice startled her and she nearly lost her hold on the branches and only a desperate grab kept her from toppling ten or fifteen feet to the ground.

Furious she climbed down clenching her jaw in anger. Sliding down the rest of the way she just couldn’t stand it any longer, maybe she was only slightly over 4’ but to have some nitwit, bird brained… AHHH… the words just wouldn’t come.

“Checking up on me again are we?” Natalie whispered through her anger.

The smile that had been playing at the edges of Jacob's face sort of blended with the lengthening shadows beneath the trees. He just looked at her helplessly.

“I’m, I’m”, stuttering for a moment, she paused then came to a decision. With great pride she told him, “An adult!” and with that she stood on her toes and kissed him to prove it! Not sure if that had made the right statement she watched confusion and maybe a little bit of desire play across his face. To accent her point she stuck her nose just a little bit in the air with a “Urumph!” sort of sound and stamped back towards the colony base.

Jacob watched her go his eyes tracing her lovely form in its skin tight rubberized uniform. Maybe she was a little odd, but on the other hand the number of eligible girls.. no correction.. women was not very high. Glancing around for a moment to make sure that nothing was out of the ordinary, he headed after her. That woman was going to get herself killed! Her head always seemed to be in the clouds. This planet contained millions of different forms of life. And they had not yet cataloged a tenth of them!

Hidden from view, an ancient beast listened to sounds that it remembered well. Stretching in the tight confines of its summers resting place it knew that the time to feast was coming again. Once it was dark it would hunt and it would feed again. That was the natural order of things.

Back at the camp, Colony Manager Della Brestor watched as first Natalie and then Jacob came into view. Breathing a sigh of relief she resisted the urge to yell at them. Winter was coming and it was time to seal in their camp for safety reasons. Shaking her head she knew that they had no idea of what was coming.. they hadn’t been there the first year. Actually she was the only one that really knew what happened. But she was glad they didn’t know. And that they didn’t know why she was still here. Downing another gulp from her bottle she felt the stuff burn its way down her throat. Revenge drove her and it was the only reason she was their.

“Ok. Let’s seal her up. I want an air-tight force field in place on my count!” Looking back at Sarah she saw her nod that she was ready. Turning back around she patiently waited for the youngest members of her team to cross the threshold of safety.

At the right moment, Della yelled out “Now!” and suddenly they were all inside a 50’ dome in a large forest clearing. It was a little difficult to see through the semi-transparent force field but with some difficulty Della could still make out the shapes of the trees on the other side. As the force field increased in intensity soon it was glowing and crackling and giving off the only light they would see for the next eight months.

“Good bye sun. Good bye trees. Good bye freedom.” Della heard Natalie muttering to herself.

“Temperature is dropping rapidly as is moisture content and breathable oxygen. Should be at the freezing point in ten minutes.” As always Jed was monitoring the situation very carefully.

“Ok everybody off the ground.” Specially designed beams went down into the hard bedrock of the planet. Three buildings were raised some eight feet off the ground and connected by a small catwalk in a triangular formation.

Mounting the lift at the center of the catwalks, Della waited for a moment to make certain that everybody was aboard. Putting it into motion she rod it up to the catwalks along with Jacob and Natalie.

“Am I going to be stuck with you?” Natalie asked Jacob an odd pleading in her voice.

“Stuck with me?” Jacob was really uncertain how to answer that one. Natalie just looked away and a tear trickled down her checks. “Look” Jacob tried to begin but a warning look from Sarah silenced him.

“Ok Sarah, seal the ground. Jed start up the air pumps and set temperature controls to whatever is going to maximize our efficiency..” Della headed to the control building. That was where she would spend most of her time monitoring and watching along with Sarah and Jed.

“Well “ Jacob informed the group, “I’ll be in the supply building checking my survival gear in case its needed.” Jacob was the Colonies quartermaster, cook, and survival expert.

Natalie headed towards the barracks. For the moment she wanted to just lay down on the bed and dream of playing in the woods. It was hard to say why. But she was drawn to the woods and something else though she couldn’t exactly say what.

A week later the proximity alarm started going off. Waking from a deep sleep Natalie hurried out to the catwalk along with the others. A large dark object was throwing itself against the force field. Large discharges of energy where spiking across the entire dome. The sound was deafening. Della was just standing on the catwalk watching. Apprehensive the other crew members joined the both of them. Then as quickly as it had started it was over.

“What the hell was that??!!” Jed was the first one to speak.

“Sara what do you think? Any damage?” Della ignored Jed all together.

“Not really. Though I’d hate to think of that impact continuing all winter long.. that could be a problem” she responded.

Jacob was watching Natalie though, there was something about the glint in her eyes. The rest of them were upset, nervous, it was in the air. But the look in her eyes was closer to rapture, almost as though she was hypnotized.

Elbowing Della, Jacob got her attention and pointed at Natalie mutely. Shrugging Della disappeared back into the control building. All of them dispersed quickly, except for Natalie who remained staring out through the force field trying to see whatever was out there.

Beyond their sight the beast could feel their minds. Bestial urges fought for control and won. Its prey wanted him and it wanted them. Hooking into their thoughts he feed them into a flame and then withdrew to watch what they would do. Soon, very soon, it would eat again.

Alien thoughts and image started flooding Natalie's mind. Her hands flying to her head she struggled not to scream, as the single thought "Come out to me" repeated itself over and over again in her mind. The intensity brought her to her knees. Slowly it receded into a background whisper again and she rose. But an overwhelming desire to escape was beating against her every effort to drive it back down. She knew that it was wrong, but somehow it didn't matter. Drenched in sweat she slowly turned back towards the barracks. For the moment everyone just ignored her and soon she was cleaned up and fast asleep.

When she woke Natalie could still feel the intense urge compelling her to get out of the dome. It didn't have a reason; it was like a nightmare where compulsions didn't have to make sense. Walking over to the supply building she entered and saw Jacob working on dinner.

“Jacob” she said softly, then reaching out a hand she put it on his shoulder and twirled him around. Reaching up she pulled him closer and then kissed him for the second time. “How do I get out of the dome?” It was a simple question really.

Dumbstruck he took her hands and moved them off his shoulder. Then taking a deep breathe he said simply “I’m going to ignore that.” And then very gently he pushed her away.

Tears welled up, and not knowing what to do she spun around and headed back towards the barracks. He was the must unfeeling oaf she had ever met.

After finishing dinner, Jacob went to Della who happened to be standing out on the catwalk. “We gotta do something. Something is happening to Natalie. I’m mean she’s always been weird but….”

Sighing Della eyed him, “I’ll act when its time and not one moment before you got it?”

“But..” Jacob began.

“Your rated as telepathically immune right?” Della asked him patiently.

“Well yes.” Jacob was clearly embarrassed it didn't seem like a particularly useful talent.

“That's why I choose you. And that’s one trait we both share." Putting her arm around him she continued "Last year it happened... I want that thing that is doing this more than you could ever know. So if you want to get off this alien world alive," and with that she faced him eyeball to eyeball "you’ll do everything I say and NOT ONE THING MORE!” with that Della turned around and disappeared back into the control building.

“You’ll not get any more out of her” Sarah’s soft voice said from behind him, "until she's ready to talk."

Weakly he turned to face her. Another female was not who he wanted to talk to at that moment.

“Fried chicken again tonight?” Sarah asked and winked at him wanting to break the awkward moment.

“Every Wednesdays and Friday.” Came his guarded reply.

“Look Natalie will be ok. Something odd is just happening.. I can feel it myself. Give her time. I’m going to do a perimeter check just to make sure that our stabilizer points hold. Save some chicken for me!” Sarah said then moved over towards the edge of the catwalk. Hooking some steel cables onto her belt she disappeared from sight.

Shaking his head, Jacob went to put the chicken on the table.

After setting out the food for everyone, Jacob dug in. There really didn't seem much point in waiting. Soon Della and Jed joined him. After a few moments eating in silence Della suddenly got a worried look on her face. A few moments later Natalie entered the room.

“Where's Sarah?” Della asked.

“She said something about a perimeter check” Jacob responded.

“DAMN!” Della cursed just as something huge slammed into the dome. Natalie stood up her face flushing and a wild look in her eyes. Rushing out Della looked over the edge of the catwalk. They all followed suit. Alarms began blaring.

“We got a breach!” Jed snapped “Everybody into a building NOW!”

Suddenly they were all gasping as frigid air burned their lungs. In shock, Jacob watched as Jed slipped on an air mask and dived over the edge of the catwalk. Cold frigid air blasted across the inside of the failing dome. A thin layer of ice magically coated the catwalk. Jacob felt his exposed skin turning blue and numb. Reaching over he grabbed Natalie and flung them both sliding on the ice back into the supply building. The door automatically shut behind them. They heard Della screaming wildly and firing some sort of gun over and over and over again.

And then the lights went out.

In the darkened supply building Natalie was hyperventilating. Sweat poured down her face. Looking into Jacobs’s cold blistered face she pleaded with him “Let me go out there. It’s out there. It’s waiting for me. I got to go out there.” Dim emergency lighting inside the building allowed them to see each other though only just barely.

Struggling to ignore the pain, Jacob pulled her close. “No you don’t that’s not what you want!” and he wrapped his arms around her.

Outside in the cold darkness the beast fed. And it waited for the next victim to come. It was only a matter of time, they always came.

Hours went by. Natalie asked Jacob “Lets open the door.. Lets see what’s happening..”

“No. Hush. I won’t do it.”

But inside Jacob knew that he was tired and hurt. He had to do something. Barring the door from the inside with an emergency lock he pushed her towards a chair. Wrapping a blanket around her he tied her to the chair.

“Why did you do that?” Natalie started sobbing. “Why? Why? I gotta go out there. I gotta go out there….”

Ignoring her Jacob went to sleep.

Time didn’t seem to exist, just endless darkness and Natalie crying in a chair. Occasionally something pounded on the supply building shaking it for hours. But the waiting just went on.

“Damn it!” for the first time he cursed her, “Stop it!” he slapped her hard, but it just made her cries increase. Anger gave way to weariness. Covering his ears with his hands Jacob curled up on the hard floor and slept again.

And the beast prowled in the darkness. And the beast wondered why its prey didn’t come to it as it called with all its might.

Looking at Natalie Jacob knew that something had to change. Something had to snap her out of this. Something stronger than whatever compulsion was trying to drive her to her death. But what could that be?

Heading into the back of the supply of the building he took a quick inventory of what he had available. As a creature of this planets frigid night the beast had evolved to survive in that enivornment. Light wouldn’t work, as if it had then the light of the dome itself would have kept it away. Perhaps heat then. Looking at some plasma torches he wondered. Survival suits could keep them alive out there in the darkness. But whatever it was out there, it had already killed. He just didn't have the right equipment to guarantee their survival if they had to fight. One rip could mean doom. Though it occurred to him, if the battle was in her head maybe she just needed a symbol. That he could give her. Grabbing one of the torches he headed back to Natalie and stared at the dark shadows that hid her eyes. He wasn't even sure if she could see him.

Green he reminded himself her eyes are green It wasn't that he could see in the dim emergency lighting, but he was pretty sure they were.

"Listen!" he commanded as best he could, "Listen to me!" Her eyes seemed to focus on him for just a few moments. "You got to fight it!"

Taking a metal crate, he emptied it on the floor in a defeaning crash of metal ration boxes. Dumping some flamable products into the crate, he grabbed a shield for his own eyes and then stood in front of her. Lighting the torch the brilliant white light filled the room. He heard her gasp in pain from the brightness. Extinguishing the torch, the room was then filled with the red glow of the fire he had started.

Putting the torch down, he went back to her. "Focus on the fire. Imagine toasting marshmallows; hear the snap of pine cones bursting in the heat. Imagine the good feelings as we tell lies to each other and burn our fingers... "

Reason appeared in Natalie’s eyes for just a moment, and the endless ranting paused. By now the after image of the torch would be slowly fading away. But then the craziness slowly returned. Sitting back he watched her. He would wait awhile then try it again.

And the beast cried out wanting to fed. Its anguished call was heard throughout the world as it called and reached and poked and prodded as though its hand were spirit and not flesh. In the Natalie's mind it spun threads and traps and pulled its prey towards it with all its might.

Days turned into weeks. Natalie was weak and much of the time her voice had now given out. But they toasted imaginary marshmallows, and they fought the compulsion that was ripping at her mind.

And the beast knew hunger. It always knew hunger. Vaguely it knew there had been a time when there was more to eat many cycles of hibernation ago. But now only it was left, and it had to eat again.

Weeks turned into months. The semi-darkness of the supply building became the only thing that existed. They both slept a lot as though every trace of strength and even the will to survive was somehow frozen like giant rivers waiting the springs thaw.

And the beast prowled in the darkness until it felt the sudden warming of unseen suns. As the temperature rose its mental scream of defeat washed over the alien woods reaching up into the sky far far above. As the last of its kind, the beast died and the summer came rushing in.

Jacob gently embraced Natalie and kissed her lightly on the lips. The wild look in her eyes was gone. Gentle sleep had taken over the crazy ranting and raving. Something told him they wouldn't need any more marshmallows of the imaginary kind.

Stirring, she looked at him, “It’s over.”

“What happened?”

Confusion, for a moment, washed across her face, “I remember… a hug…" A look of anger briefly replaced the confusion. "And something else...” She finished with a cold whisper.

“Time to leave this place.” Jacob knew it was a hasty thing to do, but he threw the door open. Cold air rushed into the supply building, but not to cold. Blinking back tears in the blinding green light, they both held hands and slowly walked out onto a ruined catwalk just barely hanging on the edge of the supply building.

The beast lying dead on the ground beneath them was hideous indeed. Without eyes it seemed to be one enormous oozing black blob. Neither one of them needed to check to see if it was dead, they knew it was.

“Jacob” she began looking into his eyes. Clinging to him, she knew that in the midst of compulsions that had nearly torn her soul apart she had found someone. She wanted to thank him. But her voice broke and she couldn’t speak for a moment.

Yet there was more and knowing she had to say it, she looked at him sternly. With great effort she got out "If you” but then had to pause before she got out “hit me”. Already her throat was hurting and the effort barely worth it, but she had to tell him. “JAIL!” There that should do it.

He started to say something, but she stopped him with a finger stretched up to his lips. "No more marshmallows" she told him gently and that came out perfectly.

Now, no longer in darkness, Natalie snuggled into his chest and holding each other tightly they waited for help to arrive.