Wisdom in the Dark

Chapter 15 - Myra

Pyc Village was utter chaos.

Alarms blared throughout Pyc Village for the first time in over fifty rotations. Parents locked and loaded automatic rifles and donned old, ratty body armor as they yelled at their children to get to the underground bunker. Many of the elderly herded wide eyed, whimpering youth to safety with calm words and tender hands. Some elders prepared for battle, too.

Myra’s heart raced as she pleaded with families to move quickly and calmly to shelter, listened to status updates from traffic control on her communicator, and fought with her mother to join the others in the bunker.

“You can do more good down there in the bunker than out here where you could be killed,” Myra protested as her communicator buzzed for her attention.

“Death comes for us all,” Mytla said, tone even. “I will not cower while our people are in danger.”

“But-“

Myra was cut off but another series of buzzes from her communicator. With a grunt of frustration, she tapped the answer button and held the slim black rectangle to her ear.

“Go ahead,” Myra said, fighting to remain calm.

“The four enemy Sylphs are ten klicks out.”

Four enemy Sylphs. Which family on Callisto could muster that many machines? The Sebrle had been paid in kind for the attack that killed Vlad and lost two of their four Sylphs, rendering them an ineffective enemy against the Pyc. Myra always thought the Pyc held at least one-for-one odds against any other Family on Callisto.

“We’re being hailed.” Sara’s voice was alarmed and confused in Myra’s ear.

“I’ll be right there,” Myra said, ending the call.

“I’m coming with you,” Mytla said.

Myra turned to her mother. “No, you’re not. You’re going into the bunker.”

“You can’t make me, daughter.” Mytla’s determined expression reinforced her stubborn words.

Mytla’s caretaker, Anna, just shrugged. “I can try to wheel her to the bunker, but she’ll fight me the whole way.”

This is taking too much time, Myra thought. The enemy are at our gates.

“Fine.” With that Myra raced off.

“The enemy Sylphs are still hailing us,” Sara said as Myra entered the traffic control center.

“Put it through,” Myra commanded.

A moment later the helmeted visage of a Sylph pilot filled the main screen in front of Sara.

“This is Eli of the Kotik Family.” Though the pilot’s mouth could be seen, the rest of the pilots face was obscured. “We are here for the lost factory.”

Myra could not believe what she heard.

“Say again,” Myra asked. “There is no such thing as the lost factory. It’s just a fairytale. What are you really here for?”

However, it appeared that the Kotik pilot was not dissuaded from his course of action.

“Don’t lie to us,” Eli growled. “We know you know the location to the lost factory. Give it to us now and we will let you live.”

Myra had no idea what to say or how to react. All of this seemed like an excuse for the Kotik village to attack the Pyc village.

“I say again,” Myra transmitted, “We know nothing of the lost factory. It does not exist. It isn’t real. Turn back now or we will be forced to shoot you down.

Something akin to a chuckle and a cough escaped the Kotik Sylph pilot’s lips. “So be it. Your death.”

The Kotik Sylph pilot cut the transmission and the traffic control screen reverted to the normal control display.

“Where are our Sylphs?” Myra asked one of the traffic controllers.

“Still in the air matriarch,” Sara replied. “They are on a direct course to intercept the Kotik Sylphs.”

Myra said a small prayer to Wotuos that Jack and the other Pyc Sylph pilots arrived in time.

“Scramble the infantry and get out as many air defense artillery pieces as possible,” Myra said. “Transmit it throughout the village.”

“The militia commander, Durko, is already on it,” Simon replied. “Anti-air missiles should be in position soon.

It was the most Myra could hope for at this point. She didn’t have a Sylph to fly out and meet the enemy. Though she was trained on all of the weapons the village boasted, other village members used them and moved into position as she watched the air battle on the traffic control center’s radar.

Be safe, Jak, Myra prayed silently as she watched the icons on the screen moved ever closer.