Orion Colony Complete Series Boxed Set J.N. Chaney (books for new readers .txt) 📖

Its skin looked thick, like weathered leather. I saw one first then another and another. A herd of the creatures moved our way, not threatening in the least. They actually looked curious to see us.

“Son of a Remboshi,” Ricky breathed in awe. “That’s what’s been in the mist this entire time?”

“Yes, the sawg are vegetarians by nature,” Jezra informed us with an easy smile. “They spend most of their time digging through the marsh for plants with their tentacles. They are also great swimmers and have the ability to sense movement in the mist.”

“And why did you allow them to kill innocent colonists when we landed?” Arun asked with a hard tone in her voice. “Why didn’t you call them off? We have reports of at least one ship being attacked in the mist.”

“I was away from the control station when your ship landed on Genesis,” Jezra said with regret. “I received the warning there were ships landing. By the time I was able to see with my own eyes what our low-flying satellite had brought in, it was too late. I called the sawg off, but not until they had taken many survivors. Apologizing won’t help them now. I understand that, but I am sorry.”

Jezra continued to tell us about the events surrounding our crash, but my attention was wrapped onto the gigantic alien animals beside me. I didn’t have words to put behind my thoughts. I was completely dumbfounded. The creatures weren’t just moving mountains, they were amazing animals.

It was all I could do to keep my attention on the heading Jezra gave me out of the mist lands.

“You said the Rung tried to gain entry into the Cerberus Installation twice before?” Tong asked, intrigued.

“Yes,” Jezra explained. “They were turned back both times. They never sent a full force to try and penetrate the mist lands. The first time, they sent a scouting party of four; the next, a group of a dozen. Both times, the sawg turned them back. They never bothered me again.”

Everyone fell silent, digesting the information Jezra had given us. At the same time, our eyes couldn’t leave the colossal alien animals to our left.

“I will once again activate the mist when we are through,” Jezra informed us. “The sawg will see that the Cerberus Installation is protected while we are gone.”

Jezra started humming quietly to herself. It was a tune I felt like I had heard before. Something low and soft, almost soothing.

We traveled in silence the rest of the way through the mist lands. I focused on the road ahead of me and the plan of action we would need to put in place once we reached the Orion.

It was highly unlikely Legion was just going to let us through. We would have to bulldoze our way through alien creatures and bodies of infected colonists. Hopefully, we would be within communication distance with the Orion to form some kind of plan before Legion saw us approach.

There was still the unanswered question of Maksim running around unchecked as well as the roving Rung. Who knew how far they traveled past the mountain range? Who knew how many they numbered now?

We made good time through the marsh. It was strange to think how peaceful and calm the place was now with the absence of the mist or fog. I almost liked it. It was the most uneventful trip we had had yet.

Soon the swamp grounds gave way to harder terrain. Live trees began to form around us, signaling our exit from the marsh and our entrance to the forest to the south of the Orion.

Jezra’s fingers flew over her glass control panel.

I could only assume she was activating the mist once more. She maneuvered her finger deftly over the glass plate in front of her, bringing up a view of the Orion once again.

“We can be sure that Legion will know we are coming,” Jezra said with a click of her tongue. “It has eyes everywhere. The more beings it consumes, the smarter it becomes.”

“And there’s no way of reversing it?” I asked. “I mean, instead of killing all of these people, is there a way to pull Legion out of them? Or even kill the virus?”

“Not one that we know of, but that does not mean the way does not exist,” Jezra answered. “We may yet find a way to kill the virus without harming the host. Perhaps with the artificial intelligence aboard the Orion, we will be able to come up with a plan.”

“If there is a way Iris will be able to find it,” I said with hope I didn’t necessarily feel. Something told me the end of Legion would be through violence, not a vaccine. “When the Rung first created Legion and it got out of control, what tactics did you try?”

“We searched for a cure, tried to fight it in an all-out war, even tried speaking with it.” Jezra swallowed hard as the events of those days played back through her mind. “There was no escape from it. Legion has one goal, like any symbiotic virus: to spread and consume.”

“We’ll find a way to beat him,” I said.

“I know you will,” Jezra said with sad eyes. “I know you will because I’ve already seen you do it. You are a champion, Dean. You are a protector.”

“I don’t know about all that,” I said, shrugging off her compliment. “I’m just a guy trying to survive.”

“Still, I have faith in you,” Jezra said with unblinking eyes.

“I’ve really got to introduce you to this guy I know back on the Orion,” I said, thinking of Lou. “You two are going to get along great.”

“We should keep our eyes open,” Arun’s voice sounded over our dashboard speakers. “We’re going to go through the same area where we came across Dean and Maksim. Who knows if he’s still here or if Legion is still in the area.”

We traveled through the forest watching for any sign