Aarde Part 1B: Aarde, #2

By JB Williams

After narrowly escaping relocation with the assistance of unexpected help, Nesschter Norkit, formerly known as Holden Hosenheim, is in the custody of Revivalist allies. However, with Xajil on his trail and Ara captured, and Shio on the brink of collapse, Nesschter makes the call to go into the fire.

 

He will do whatever it takes to save Ara. Including confronting the consequences of his past actions.

 

 

(Part 1B)

• Language: English
• Publisher: JB Writes Stuff
• Release date: Apr 26, 2024
• ISBN: 9798989513345

Book preview

1

Chapter 1

Two gunshots crack the air, leaving Nesschter’s ears ringing and his eyes squeezed tight. He doesn’t feel his skull breaking or his brain being pulverized. The only pain he is suffering from is the ringing in his ears and his organs being twisted into knots. But this is offset by a warm, gentle breeze.

Will you stay?

Those words echo in the darkness, and Nesschter opens his eyes to see a young Ara standing at the edge of the frozen lake, wearing her green winter jacket and pink earmuffs. The sun reflects off the snow, and she smiles hopefully, her fluffy white tail moving like a brush as it wags slowly. She holds her smile and clutches the ice skates tight in her gloved hands. The pair of ice skates dangle down, their blades clanking off each other and reflecting the sunlight as Nesschter walks forward.

His steps are awkward, and his throat is tight. His heart is thumping in his ears as he extends his hand to Ara for the briefest of moments before retracting. A strong wind blows by, sending snow to twirl between them and a cold chill to brush across their fur.

I want to stay, says Nesschter, his young hoarse voice cracking. He looks at the trees swaying in the wind and the snow falling off the branches. It’s nice here.

Ara giggles and rocks on her heels. Well, you and Balik are always welcomed here. But you more than Balik. I like you a lot. Do you like me?

Nesschter looks at Ara, and swallows. Um…

Ara grins and carefully adjusts her grip on the ice skates as she walks towards Nesschter. When she is in front of him, she stands on the balls of her feet so their muzzles are almost touching. Green eyes to gray eyes, white fur to gray fur, joy and mischievousness to fearful and guarded.

You don’t have to be afraid of me. I won’t bite you, says Ara. Do you like me?

Nesschter’s eyes flick up and down her body, analyzing her perfect portions, the heavy bangs, her elegant green eyes and hand stitched dress, all of it is making him feel the best form of nausea he has ever experienced. And all this is due to a Delta, nonetheless.

I mean… you’re okay, I guess, says Nesschter.

Great! Let’s go ice skating! The lake is in perfect condition for it! says Ara.

Ara grabs Nesschter’s hands, causing him to twitch and recoil, and she cringes.

Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you, says Ara.

That’s fine… We can go ice skating. But please don’t touch me like that, says Nesschter.

Deal! Follow me!

***

Get up. Stop being dramatic and help me dump these bodies, says Caro.

Nesschter’s eyes open. He is still kneeling above the ditch where the lime covered corpses are tossed. His body is stiff, his heart is both heavy and fast and a faint ticking torments his ears. As the ticking pokes at him, his ears twist to the sound of gravel crunching, and soon he is pulled to his feet.

Once Nesschter is up, his chains are removed, and he rubs his wrists and turns around. Caro is standing in front of him, and behind him are the other two Avus with holes in their heads.

Come on. Time isn’t on our side. Help me dump the bodies so we can get out of here, says Caro.

Nesschter doesn’t argue. He and Caro grab the arms and legs of the deceased Avus and throw them in the ditch. Nesschter makes it a mission to throw their corpses on top of Mila and Qara. When they are done, Nesschter stares at Tia’s corpse, unable to move or speak. He wants to apologize, but the words don’t come out. And while he stares at Tia, Caro grabs Nesschter’s arm and drags him to his vehicle, which is a blocky car with armor plating and the Division 4 logo, plus a small trunk.

Snap out of it. I need to get you out of here, and you being a dope isn’t helping, says Caro.

Why are you doing this? asks Nesschter, when they reach the vehicle.

Someone special sent me a pretty payment to make sure you’re alive, says Caro.

Who?

Balik Norkit.

Nesschter’s gut twists into a knot. Great… You do realize you’re a dead bird walking, right?

I do. That’s why I’m leaving Aarde. I’ve already sold my stocks, emptied my accounts to hard cash, and signed my lease over to my ex. She’s going to love the house until the bills come in.

Caro pops open the trunk.

Get in, says Caro.

Nesschter stares at Caro, and the Avus nods to the trunk.

Get in. You’ll be hidden from the gate guard this way, orders Caro.

Nesschter sighs and climbs in, finding his company being a long jacket, a brimmed hat, and a traditional Lupiank tunic, plus a traditional Avus thawb with a beaded belt rolled next to it. Then Caro shuts the trunk, and Nesschter is encased in darkness

2

Chapter 2

Nesschter has been in the dark for a while. He hears the gravel road gradually changing to a paved road, and the speed slowing down as Caro reaches bumper to bumper traffic.

The hours’ worth of constant stop and go make him queasy, which is made all the worse by thinking of Tia’s corpse and wondering if Xajil will go after Ara. Or maybe even Don. Maybe both?

Then the vehicle makes a steady speed and keeps going for a little while before it slows to a stop. A few seconds later, the trunk pops open and Nesschter is pulled out by a pair of Avus wearing armored vests. He finds himself in a spacious abandoned building, with crumbling brick, splintering wood, and lanterns for light.

Old pillars are spaced evenly, large windows are boarded up, and display cases and stands are empty or smashed, with faded posters in tatters and nonsensical graffiti scattered all over the walls. And hanging above the group are empty cables with cracks spreading across the ceiling, and the tiled floor is shredded and covered in piles of dirt and rubble.

There are two more Avus standing in front of Nesschter, armed with pistols and wearing vests. Nesschter growls and shrugs off the Avus holding him, but before he can do anything else, Caro walks in front of him.

Relax, they’re with me, says Caro. I just need some help watching you while I drop off the car.

Nesschter looks past the Division 4 car and sees that it came through a makeshift garage door covering a hole in the wall. The door is being held up by a scrawny Avus that is shaking and muttering as his feet dig into the floor.

He looks further down in another direction and sees more Avus sitting on three ratty couches, eyes glazed, mouths open, and one twitching, and all are muttering or giggling. All of them have ice packs taped to their heads, and on a table in the center of the setup are many N-Light pills and stacks of gift cards.

This setup is being watched by a muscular, gray Avus with black and white lines on his face. He also has mechanized arms, sunglasses, an armored vest, and a rifle.

What’s wrong with them? asks Nesschter, nodding to the dazed Avus.

N-Light newbies, says Caro. Earlier they were bouncing around, reliving their memories, now they’re burnt out.

Nesschter stares at the group, and a female suddenly squawks and cackles, and she leaps up and runs down the hallway, chirping and cackling. The large guard shakes his head, and another Avus with a rifle slung on their shoulder gives chase. Then Caro gives Nesschter his thawb and the Lupinak tunic.

Put your tunic on and hold the thawb for me until I get back from HQ, says Caro.

How long will you be gone? asks Nesschter.

Not long.

Will you grab Ara? I think Xajil might go after her, too. Also, I need my watch and knife.

Don’t worry about the secretary. She’ll be fine. Xajil doesn’t suspect her. As for your stuff… I’ll think about it.

And with that said, Caro gets in the government vehicle and drives off. As soon as he leaves, the scrawny Avus releases the rope with a relieved sigh and the garage door slides down with a loud thud.

Without the sunlight pouring, the room becomes dim with lantern light flickering and shadows dancing on the broken walls. Nesschter looks at the group of Avus staring at him.

So, you’re Division 4, says one of the guards; an Avus with brown feathers, a light-gray tipped crest, and white speckles on his face, and a white beak. He is wearing a light gray broken zipper hoodie and a dark gray shirt underneath

Nesschter takes a moment studying the Avus before answers. Formerly. I was recently fired.

The speckled Avus chuckles, puts his talons on Nesschter’s shoulder, and leads him to a bathroom with a broken toilet, a shattered mirror, and a sink with brown goo dripping through its broken pipe. The door has a giant hole on the bottom, too.

It’s strange seeing a Lupe be Division 4. You two don’t exactly get along, says the Avus.

Nesschter grunts.

And I’ll take that, says the Avus while taking Caro’s thawb and putting it in a plastic bag. And you get changed. Hot dogs are on the grill, and we got drinks in the cooler.

Nesschter sighs heavily, goes in the bathroom, and quickly changes. When he is out, he is wearing a green tunic with white Triskelions on the collar and cuffs. His tunic belt is dark green with white Triskelions, and it is also tied as tight as it can go, due to the clothing somehow being too large for Nesschter.

The smell of hot dogs fills his nose, but he isn’t hungry. The speckled Avus he talked to waves him over. He goes to an area with a huge grill placed under a hole in the roof and various chairs surround said grill. Some are car seats, some are lawn chairs, others are office chairs.

Nesschter takes an office chair, and the Avus gives him a paper plate with four hot dogs on it. A white female Avus with dulled talons, golden bands around her hazel eyes, a green crest with gold tips, and long white feathers on her head and shoulders approaches the group. She is wearing a sleeveless shirt underneath an armored vest and carrying a shotgun and sits on the lawn chair next to him. She carefully sets her shotgun down and looks at Nesschter when she gets her plate of hot dogs.

What’s your name, Lupe? asks the female Avus.

Nesschter… You?

Rara. That one over there is Gyrij.

The speckled Avus waves with his spatula, and Nessschter returns with a two-fingered wave. Then he looks around and sees a few more Avus, all armed with weapons, taking chairs, drinks, and hot dogs.

Do all of you work for Balik? asks Nesschter.

The Avus group laughs and Nesschter frowns.

We don’t work for Balik, says Rara. "We work with him. Our boss is Caro, and he doesn’t work for Balik, either. He works with him. They have a partnership. And a good one, too. If it wasn’t for Caro giving Balik a heads-up about the crackdowns, then every big N-Light dealer in this city would have been relocated and lots of money flushed down."

Gyrij reaches into a cooler and tosses Nesschter a can of soda, gives Rara a can, and sits next to her in a car seat.

Speaking of relocation… You said you’re Division 4, says Gyrij.

Former, corrects Nesschter.

Where are people relocated to?

Nesschter hesitates. Their graves… There’s a mass grave outside of the city. A big ditch, miles long, filled with… bodies…

Nesschter’s voice drifts off as Rara hisses and gives Gyrij a packet of five N-Light pills from her pocket.

I told you so, says Gyrij.

How do they hide that? asks Rara.

Nesschter shrugs. A fence?

The group mutters in their avian language and Nesschter looks around the area. It appears to have been an eatery at some point, but the tables and chairs are smashed and haphazardly tossed in piles, and the buffets have been gutted and the menus shattered. More ripped and faded posters cover the walls, and what were once windows to the outside are boarded up, and the brick and tile are discolored and crumbling.

What is this place? asks Nesschter.

We’re in a museum’s cafe, says Rara.

What’s a museum?

This place.

Nesschter frowns. I know, but what was it for.

Oh… I don’t know… Does anybody know?

Rara looks around, and some Avus shrug or mutter, and then the large Avus with mechanical arms enters and grabs a handful of hot dogs from the grill.

A museum was a building that allowed the people to see into the past, he says. "After the GSAU took control, Milo Gailo ordered all museums to be emptied and shut down, and the relics were destroyed. Then there were the libraries. Historical books and their copies were also hunted down and destroyed, and historians were… persuaded to alter information. Those that didn’t go along with it were relocated."

The cyborg sits on the ground next to Nesschter and holds out his hand.

By the way, the name is Varil Mevi, he says.

Nesschter shakes his hand. Nesschter. Nice to meet you. And should I ask how you know what a museum is?

I was with the Preservation Force, which was designed to preserve the GSAU’s power by removing problematic elements within the AAHU ranks and within society, which also included Aarde’s history. But now you know it as Division 4.

Nesschter looks down. His claw taps the soda can and his eyes dart right to left, as if reading passages from a book. The Avus look at him, and Varil raises a brow.

Are you okay? asks Varil.

I was Division 4, but never heard of the Preservation Force, says Nesschter.

Varil does a double take. How? That’s basic Division 4 history.

Xajil didn’t include that part when he altered my memories.

The Avus stare at Nesschter, dumbfounded, and the former agent eats a hot dog. Its skin was black and crispy, and the inside warm. Perfect combination.

Hold on, your memory got scrambled? says Gyrij.

Nesschter nods. Yeah. I was given N-Light by… a friend after we had an argument. I didn’t believe her when she said my memory was altered. After I took N-Light, I realized what Xajil did to me.

Is your friend Ara?

Yes. How did you know?

Lucky guess.

Nesschter frowns, and Gyrij pulls out a phone.

I’ll tell you what, give us her address and description, and I’ll have some of my buddies bring her over for safekeeping, says Gyrij.

I would rather get her myself, says Nesschter.

We can’t do that. We have explicit orders to keep you here for the time being, says Varil.

How long will that be? asks Nesschter.

Until Caro says we can let you go, says Varil.

Nesschter narrows his eyes and Rara pats his leg, making him flinch.

It won’t be too bad, says Rara. My boyfriend will be by shortly with his friends and we’ll have fun.

Then a bell rings five times, and Rara leaps up with a grin.

Speaking of boyfriend! says Rara.

Then she runs off, and Nesschter gets up with Varil and Gyrij and follows them down the hallway. When they get into the lobby, the customers are still on the couches with a new set of guards, and the scrawny Avus is pulling the garage door open.

Then a white van rolls in, and the garage door slides down. The van’s side door opens, and Nesschter’s ears perk when a sunburned human with light brown hair hops out.

Baby! cheers Rara.

Hey, chica! says Chester Hartvinn.

He grabs Rara’s hips, pulls her in, and pecks her cheeks. She giggles and her long crest bobs and her tail feathers flex. And as this happens, other humans come out with coolers and weapons, and they all pause when they see Nesschter.

Who’s this? asks Chester.

Nesschter keeps a cool expression, but he is secretly terrified of the group hearing his erratic heartbeats. He easily recognizes Chester by sight and scent, but he doesn’t know if Chester recognizes him. Sure, he was fully masked when they had their last encounter, but still. What if the human has x-ray vision? What if he recognizes his build? Or his voice? Or his smell?

But while Nesschter panics on the inside, Rara grins at Chester.

That is Nesschter. Caro is having us watch him for a little while, says Rara.

Oh… Nice to meet you. Name’s Chester. He shakes Nesschter’s hand and sizes him up. So, why are you hiding with Caro’s crew?

Personal reasons.

Right. Secrecy and stuff. Got it. Anyway, I brought stuff for fun. Chester goes to the van and pulls out… BOARD GAMES!

Heck yeah! says Gyrij.

Gyrij takes a couple of boxes of board games off Chester’s hands, and he leads the group back to the dining area.

We’re going to have so much fun! says Rara.

But Rara was wrong.

Nesschter did not have fun. In fact, he has realized just how much he hated board games. Each minute the group played their games was a minute that Nesschter felt like he was having his soul dissolved. The boredom was unbearable, and the losing streak as constant as the rising sun. And no game was truer of his hatred and misfortune than Monopoly. If Monopoly was a person, they would have been decked in the schnoz already.

Looks like someone’s going to jail! says Rara.

Nesschter’s eye twitches and his claws extend into his leg as he grips his shoe piece, which is on a Go to Jail slot. His hand trembles, his fur bristles with a growl rumbling, and the group