Chapter 5: A Nearly Forgotten Language

The rest of the afternoon had become a slog. It was quiet in the office cubicle with only the sounds of fingers pressing against buttons. Ioren could see that her partner’s anger and resentments had naturally diffused in the following hours but only to a point. Stone was busy analyzing the carbine from the jewelry heist and came up with a valid conclusion. He needed to bring word of it to the police chief and passed the information in an email to his chain of command.

The station was rattled after the battle. Two officers were dead, and one was seriously wounded. It could have been worse, but it only seemed to drive the marine’s ambitions in getting his work completed. It had long passed over time now. It was 1700, but Stone didn’t want to stop.

For Ioren, she wanted to ask questions, but doing so would only agitate the man. It was clear to her that even with the shootout, this was not helping her situation at all. She was trapped with a partner that was both fearless but full of rage. At times, the marine would just type and grumble under his voice like he hated the world and everything that existed. Report after report was being filled from the suspects he shot at and the hostages that he helped saved. Pictures and profiles were being typed up like the marine were somehow ideally used to it. The computer was nothing but an obituary of dead suspects. There were simply too few things to do in one day because of this jewelry heist and shootout. She knew that Stone was cozy with the fact that he killed several humans with a good argument, but he might have been too comfortable with the situation as well. Even the moment with him walking into harm’s way, waiting to get shot hovered over her head and didn’t go away.

Stone’s tablet ran a scan over the carbine again. It highlighted the fact that there were still two full magazines in the top front and near the handgrip, excluding the third one that was partially depleted. He was fully aware that the gun was one of the best designs to exist for what it is intended. The question was, why was it in the hands of criminals?

Ioren knew a little bit of the PDW-20. It was bulky and heavier than most Itrean assault rifles, but it made up for penetration and specific technological capabilities. Other UHN weapons still outmatched it, but it was one that shouldn’t be ignored either. They were pretty common to see but only in the hands of humans in the military. She could see that to Stone; it was as if he became obsessed with having answers. This had become personal.

Meanwhile, the alien reptilian woman had no choice but to continue taking care of things once she would finally get the day off. Her fingers were scouring the Oshun web on her tilon in hopes of finding a home to rest. So far, there was no luck. Oshunian laws were finicky at best. This miniature continent consisted of cheap apartments in which reservations needed to be made far in advance or expensive hotels that shined on the coastline. There was no middle ground, probably because there was so little space available. She debated with herself if she would have to go ahead and try living in a hotel room until an apartment became available.

Finally, both physical and mental exhaustion and hunger were taking their toll on Stone. He had no choice but to submit the reports to their intended recipients. After hitting the submission button, he grabbed the rifle and stood up.

“Come,” he told her, seeing that he was moving. Ioren closed up her tilon and slapped them to her belt as she stood up.

Ioren had become acquainted with this process earlier in the day. However, it seemed like some of the energy had been sapped from the place. Officers were busy submitting reports and cataloging evidence. Once again, everyone avoided the towering marine like they were afraid of him. The fact that he was carrying a military carbine only seemed to add to that fact. It was one of the most significant pieces of evidence gathered from the crime scene and clearly noticeable to everybody. But, no ... she could see now that it was fear towards this gun ... this one was a cop killer.

Stone walked into the office and slapped the military carbine onto the chief’s desk with a loud thump. The leader of the police precinct barely had anything to say, but even he felt some trepidation upon seeing the towering figure and rifle. He gave a loud sigh as he simply rested back onto his chair and waited for the marine to give his report to him.

Ioren was first to come. At first, she debated if she was going to take the only other chair that was available, but Stone didn’t show any signs that he wanted to sit. If anything, he preferred to stand.

“Stone...” the chief tried to talk to him. Unfortunately, even his cheeriness was sucked out by now. “I wondered when you were finally going to come back into my office.”

“I have submitted my reports...” Stone tried to explain, but the chief rose his hands.

“I know, I know you did. I would have expected no less after everything from today.” He pressed his hands to his chest. “The loss of Neredi and Chibi will not be forgotten. Good job, at least in trying to save the workers in there. I even heard that you, Ioren, helped out in that job too.”

Ioren remained quiet as she pulled her two tilons apart. She accessed her screen as she finally decided to go and have a seat. Stone didn’t care as he remained quiet. She typed in words letting the tilon translate for her.

“Thank you, Chief,” she typed.

“So ... tell me about the evidence you picked up,” the chief asked, gesturing to the gun.

“Do you know what this is?” Stone asked.

The chief sighed. “It is a rifle ... a rather bulky one.”

“This is a PDW-20a carbine. It is UHN and was used to kill Chibi during the fight today.”

“UHN? That isn’t possible.”

“It was found and used by the leader who tried to rob the jewelry store today,” Stone remarked, wrapping his hand into a fist.

“That...” the chief shook his head. “The civilian population laws forbade having access to that sort of equipment. Criminals shouldn’t have access to them.”

“I also know that the gun used to kill Neredi was a UHN Berresons M136 Anti-Material Rifle.”

“Another UHN gun? Do you believe this? We still haven’t even found the bullet since it hasn’t been recovered.”

“I have fired it many times before and know its sound well. They are used as sniper rifles since nothing else beats their penetration power. This rifle is strong enough to penetrate even our power armor or Shal’rein body armor. We are dealing with a severe threat growing in the criminal population of Oshun this year. I have reason to believe that military firearms are working its way into the Oshunian population in perfect timing to the recent elections...”

The chief put his hand to his head. “Shame we failed to capture that sniper. Stone, I don’t know how to believe this. I just lost two of my officers today. Without you two, it would have been worse. What is it that you believe happened?”

“I ran a cross-check on the gun. According to the log of the serial number, it belongs to the armory post near here. The problem is that their inventory shows that this gun is present in their stock. I have an armorer at the base that is running a second check to verify this. It’s possible that it was stolen and never reported or...” he stopped as he didn’t have an answer.

“What is it?”

“There are other possible events. Data is being continuously changed around me since I have been stationed on this planet. Things that I’m unaware of. Surplus guns that arrive here can easily have duplicated numbers put into the gun or have falsified data when inputted. It was why, under Article 103-2, that I have confiscated this. I would like to have it, the bullets used, future autopsy reports, and other related material used for it to be transported to Oshun UHN department.”

The chief couldn’t ignore the present evidence, but he was well aware of what he just said. He shook his head. “I wouldn’t get paranoid just yet. This is probably just some UHN member that grew disgruntled and lost something that they shouldn’t. You have the right under Article 103-2 to take this from our hands, but you are aware of Article 103-5 under that same pretense?”

Stone’s lip curled a little bit. “Yes, I am,” he replied with his lip furled.

“Then, under that law, I can still keep this gun under our roof. It resulted in the death of an officer ... a member of my family. You may have the right to keep the evidence, but under the circumstances that it was used for, you can’t take it with you out of this building unless ordered by an executive chain of command.”

Ioren could see that Stone put his fist to the desk upon hearing that. He was not too pleased to have the chief use a similar rule to limit its movement. A part of her wondered why.

“Then you leave the possibility that the very perpetrators will regain their evidence,” Stone said. “The very people that authorized this behind our backs will live comfortably knowing that they will get their equipment back.”

“That same argument can be used in the case of the UHN. This is what I see right now, marine.”

“He has a point,” Ioren typed.

“Not you too,” Stone snapped at her.

“No, she sees reason,” the chief defended her. “I give you my word that this gun will stay here to the best of my abilities.”

“That isn’t all,” Stone continued on his report. He fished out of his pocket another card and tossed it on the desk.

“You ... showed me this card yesterday,” the chief questioned until the marine pulled out the other card of the same type and tossed it down.

“That is the one yesterday with the blood. This is the third time that card has come up. It was found in the leader’s pockets.”

“Again, Stone, this may mean nothing. It could just mean some gang that is coming into power.”

“Not from what I have heard so far. One store owner recognized this. Supposedly, this syndicate may be getting a hold of and selling military firearms to the general public.”

“I can confirm that,” Ioren stated on her tilon.

The chief picked up the card and looked at it closely. “This blue dot looks similar to Dragon’s Eye.”

“Dragon’s Eye?” Ioren wondered. “What is that?”

“It...” The chief paused as he didn’t want to answer it. Stone wasn’t going to hesitate, however.

“It is a penal colony,” Stone explained. “It is the third island on the northern hemisphere of Oshun. It is much smaller than the other island continents but still suitable for people living on it. I only know so much about its history, except the recent history.”

“I know more about it,” the chief relented. “It was the ‘solution’ to crime on Oshun. Anybody convicted of a major crime would be banished to live in the Dragon’s Eye prison. Major crimes like murder, foul play, and rape, and so forth. Thousands were sent there. Eventually, once the prison was filled to capacity, they decided to open the doors and let the prisoners free to live on the island. It was ... a complete disaster.”

A questioning look was seen on Ioren’s face as she tried to understand it. Finally, she typed. “I don’t understand. They let the prisoners free?”

“The original idea was that Dragon’s Eye was going to be used similar to past places on former Earth. In the beginning, many of the UWA transported their worst criminals to Dragon’s Eye to keep confined. Eventually, the cells were filled up to capacity. Then, government changed, and so did the idea of how the island should work. It had its own port, facilities, homes, and places for the prison staff to work in, but it was falling apart.”

“The tourist industry was to blame again, wasn’t it?” Stone asked as he gave a scowl. “‘Oshun is beautiful and pretty’ ... as the companies say. ‘There is no crime here. No major crimes happen at all. Everybody is happy!’ They don’t want the truth be known that could scare their precious tourists.” He waved his hand in the air. “Meanwhile, they send the worst offenders to another island. Eventually, they just give up on these prisoners and let them fend for themselves.”

“If they are free, can they come back to here or the other continent?” Ioren typed.

“No,” the chief explained. “The island is carefully guarded with surface vessels that patrol the coast. Any attempts to escape from the island and the boats are destroyed. Submarines and satellites also mark any attempts too.”

“You should know about this already,” Stone added, looking at her.

“My submarine patrols the deep waters near this continent. We are not enforcers.”

The chief watched the word discussions between the two. He could see that Stone was aggressive and snappy at Ioren. He decided to try to change topics.

“You have the right to ask about this,” the chief told her. “Don’t let Stone berate you too much. The fact is that ships go to drop off prisoners to Dragon’s Eye, and they are never allowed to leave.”

“It solves nothing,” Stone explained angrily, waving his hand out. “All it does is gives an incentive to every criminal that it is best to fight to the death rather than get arrested. Even that woman we arrested will be tossed to there to fend for herself. Only the strongest and worst there survive.”

“Ugh ... I didn’t come up with the policies, Stone. I agree with you, but we’re the ones that have to enforce them.”

“Which is why I wish to interrogate the suspects arrested in today’s heist. I believe that it will help indicate more on this syndicate and their intentions.”

“Hmmm ... your attitude scares me at times, Stone,” the chief carefully explained to him. He put his hand to his forehead. “I don’t know about that idea.”

“I demand it!”

“I know you do. Your voice carries throughout the station all the time. Plus, you are probably going to quote some rule at me, but in the end, I have to deal with a report of your actions at the heist today.”

“What about it?” Stone replied, folding up his arms.

“You decided to stand out in the open and ask the sniper to shoot you. Yes, Stone, you stopped the bad guys, but I have to ask about that sort of personality that is going to go and question two arrested criminals. I worry that they won’t even get a chance to have a trial before you are finished with them.”

“I think that we need to question them,” Ioren defended him. She continued to type. “I ask to interrogate them.”

Stone’s brow lifted up momentarily upon hearing that, but it quickly left.

“Hmmm ... tomorrow,” the chief finally relented. “I want to see my wife today and tell her that ... I had a good day. It will allow you, Stone, to also cool off.”

“Argh...,” the marine replied.

“I agree,” Ioren typed. “Tomorrow.”

With that, the chief waved Stone and Ioren to leave the office. The marine scowled as he picked up his rifle and cards before leaving. The end of the shift was there, and it was time for people to head home to tend to themselves and their well-being. Ioren followed close behind the towering man. For Stone, he felt like the job was never done. More needed to be completed, but even his stomach was growling. There was nothing more that he could do for the day.

The drive through the city in the approaching night was beautiful. The orange star was setting, establishing the closure of the typical shifts of the day. It was here that the true beauty of the city could be seen. All the lights would start to turn on. Every building had some shade of blue, green, orange, and purple neon colors. Digital displays were lighting up, filling the sky with advertisements, billboards, and other signs to attract the would-be customer. Even some of the cars had a neon hue to them as the electric motors produced a satisfying hum of movement. If the vehicles moved any faster, they would leave a trail of light to fool the eye.

Ioren was silent in almost all her actions, like any move would cause a tidal wave from Stone. Meanwhile, she would observe and enjoy the sights. The flooding lights into the car interior would even radiate from her feathers that she seemed to delight in. She could only imagine what the other continent must have looked like in this form of glory, the one that was even more oriented towards tourism.

Stone was quiet after they had just finished eating. They had just finished their dinner at some fast food joint in which Ioren had to pay for her own meal. In the inflections of the marine’s face, she could see that this was the best time to ask her question that wouldn’t induce his wrath. She decided to pull open her tilon and resume typing.

“I don’t have a place to stay,” she typed.

“What am I supposed to do about that?” Stone grimaced. “I’m not going to go all over the fucking map to find some hotel for you.”

She sighed. “I have no home. Everything is too expensive.”

“What? They don’t have any barracks for your kind?”

“They do, but not for me.”

Stone gave a confused look in her direction. “What do you mean by that?”

“They don’t want me.”

“What? You piss in their soup or something?”

The reptilian woman didn’t understand what he said by that but simply typed. “They won’t let me stay with them.”

“How the fuck did you serve on a submarine if they didn’t like you?”

Her feathers lowered down as if she had the answer and refused to answer it directly. “They prefer I was somewhere else.”

“Instead, they plop you on my lap like anything else ... fucking pieces of shit.”

“I don’t have anywhere to go. Please help me.”

“Urgh...” he looked at every building. He began to imagine having to call and spend enormous amounts of time trying to help her, let alone lend money to her. Yet, the towering buildings only seemed to peer down upon him. He gripped his hands to the steering wheel so hard that his hands turned white. Finally, pure exhaustion would be the determining factor.

“Please...” She typed again. “Help me.”

“Goddamn it!” he exclaimed as he turned on his turning signal and started a new course on his drive. “I’m taking you back to my apartment. You can sleep on my couch until you can find yourself a new home.” He pointed his finger at her. “Don’t get any fucking ideas. Don’t expect this to be some romantic stay. I’m not interested in you. You are my partner, nothing more.”

The news at least gave her a sigh of relief to hear it while she typed. “You are not my mate. I have no interests in you either.” She turned her head to look out of the window. She could see that he was shaking his head in disbelief.

“Good...” he moved his hands to maintain his driving.

“Thank you,” she typed. Stone’s only response to that was a huff from his nostrils.

Ioren’s thoughts began to think considerably on her next set of moves for the following day. Regardless, she could feel the fact that she had been in a battle. She needed to rest. She knew that even he had to be exhausted. A part of her wondered if it was wise actually to be with this man in his home. The gesture of goodwill on his part seemed to be genuine. Her reptilian eyes could even tell that his grip on the steering wheel had let up some as if he was relieved that he wouldn’t have to go anywhere else. She would say nothing else to avoid agitating him further...

Stone’s apartment door slid open as he stepped into his home first. Ioren stepped somewhat cautiously behind him. She could see the couch and the occasional empty beer bottle lying on the carpet. There was a particular odor from the lack of cleanliness, but she did her best just to ignore it.

“Don’t expect any special treatment from me,” Stone told her as he walked up to the cabinet and set his box of ammunition down. He popped open the box and unholstered his pistol. He set the gun down, ejected the magazine, and pulled out the empty magazine retrieved from the fight before setting it down.

“This is the couch that I will sleep on?” she asked with her tilon.

“It’s the only one in here. What do you think?” he replied.

Ioren said nothing as she began to take off her holster and gun. She placed it by the couch and looked at herself. She could hear the sound of bullets being loaded into the empty magazine. Tired, she had almost forgotten about the fact that she had a bulletproof vest that was still on her. She placed her tilon down to the couch.

Stone was quiet, focusing on the same pattern that he was doing the day before. He clicked the last bullet into place and then removed the holster from himself. He let it fall near the bed as it tapped another empty bottle.

The Itrean woman began to take her shirt off. She felt the need to get the vest off of her. The moment that she did, she revealed the black spandex-like material that stretched over her chest. She started to reach behind her to undo it.

“Go take care of that in there,” Stone told her. He pointed his finger at the bathroom door, hinting to her if she were going to take off her clothes, it wouldn’t be in front of him.

She did a quick nod and could see that he was serious. She began to walk towards the restroom. Her tail accidentally hit the couch as she walked on the soft carpet. The door slid closed behind her as he walked over to the small closet. He pulled out his tablet and sat it down on the bed. He loosened up his shirt a bit and thought about using the chance to evaluate his attire. He noted the red bloodstain that once again covered his boot. This time, the stain was more prominent than before, serving as a testament to the battle of the day.

The struggle and fight ... it reminded him of something that he wanted to do. Instead of heading to the closet, he turned to the kitchen and headed towards it. It was a regular cycle for him. He looked at the empty bottles and began to pick them up. He brought them to the counter and set them down to at least keep them in some particular order. The refrigerator awaited his arrival. Nothing was holding him back as he opened it and saw another set of fresh beer waiting for him. Without any further regard, he plucked three of them and proceeded back to his bed.

He could still hear the sounds of running water. It was evident to him that she was taking a shower. Before he sat down, he stepped up near the door and tapped it.

“Hey!” he told her, knowing that she could hear him. “Don’t leave a mess in there, and don’t expect me to clean up after you! The electric dryer requires two button presses to work, and the towels are below the sink.”

There was no response from her as he had expected. Stone looked at the tilons on the couch while he began to pop open the cap. The sound of air escaping in the bottle was a musical rhythm he couldn’t ignore. He almost walked to the couch but decided to head over to his bed.

He gently placed the bottles on the bed sheets ensuring that they wouldn’t bang against each other. He sat down and began to drink his first beer of the day. His eyes went to the awards and memorabilia that were on the wall. Then, his hand went to the cabinet, knowing that the pictures were still there. The alcohol felt nice to have, though, as he relished every drop.

It was like he lacked the strength to reach over and grab the small device that had the pictures in it. Instead, he closed his eyes as he put his hand to his head. Occasionally, he would lightly smack his forehead while taking a swig after swig of the bottle.

“Go away ... go away,” he told himself while his teeth cringed. He said nothing more and could only hear the sound of running water. Nothing felt right at all. The routine had been significantly altered. He couldn’t sit down on the couch, and the former empty bottles couldn’t keep him company. There was another that was present, and she was on the other side of the bathroom door. Her very presence was confounding.

He rested his back on the bed as the full bottles clunked against one another. His hand began to shake. At times he would clench his fist open and close, but he couldn’t stop drinking. Within a minute, the contents of the bottle were gone.

Stone looked at the bottle and thought of the day that transpired. His boots touched the edge of the bed and were reminded that dried blood was on them. He breathed hard and reached down to them. He hurriedly tried to get them off.

He knew that Ioren was using this time well, but he didn’t care. Submarine life might have limited her ability to take regular showers, and she was finally getting a chance to clean herself. For Stone, though, part of the routine was being reestablished as the boots fell to the floor by the bed. He resumed lying down with the bottle clenched in his hand.

“Gagana...” Stone quietly said to himself. “Where ... are you ... beloved?”

He let the bottle drop to the floor as he picked up the next one. He popped it open and started to chug it down. His thoughts went to one thing over and over again. He could feel the exhaustion creeping upon him. He used his mind and thought of the one person that meant more than everything to him. He placed the cap on the bottle and took a deep breath. He was taking deep breaths in and out of his nose. There was no sense of tears on his face, but he acted like it was challenging to breathe at times. Only the sound of the running water gave any indication that something was different. It was ... calming and comfortable to hear. He didn’t want the sound to end. Finally, with his eyes closed, he collapsed to sleep.

“Stone...” a distant voice could be heard. It was a female voice, and it felt incredibly soothing to listen to it.

The marine opened up his eyes to see nothing but a white light all around him. He was sitting down on a recliner chair, still dressed in the same clothing of the day. Even his augmented eye failed to give any information to him.

“Stone ... is that you?” the female voice echoed in the expanse of white light. Stone heard it, and a part of him felt a tremendous sense of relief that any person in his position could feel. It was a unique accent that only came from Aphadus. It was similar to the former people of India, and it was a sense of nostalgia that made the marine recognize immediately.

“It can’t be...” Stone said as his voice echoed in the surrounding environment. He was breathing hard while a small gentle smile developed on his face. “Please ... it has to be you.”

The white light fluctuated momentarily as a silhouette appeared. It was difficult to tell as the light was focused in her direction. The echo of her voice would come in and out as if it was difficult to understand. There was almost a sense of joy and laughter in her voice.

“There you are...” the female voice flooded his hearing. Stone knew it had to be her. His hands raised in delight as the blackened silhouette walked towards him, coming closer to him.

“Gagana...” he remarked. “Come to me ... come to me.”

Finally, the bright light began to submerge a little bit, revealing the whole silhouette. It appeared to be an adult woman that was in her twenties. It was both jarring and a joyous one to see.

The woman had a brown complexion, similar to many people of Aphadus. Her hair was black and flowed down below her shoulders. She had a blackish-red dot painted above between her eyes. She wore no clothing revealing a fully naked body to him. Her breasts hung freely, consisting of dark brown nipples. She was skinny and elegant in how she stood before him. For her crotch, she had a fine line of black pubic hair, almost hiding the vaginal slit in between. Her bare feet would happily press to the white surface producing small waves of light all around her. He knew it was her, but there was something slightly different.

“Gagana...” Stone said to her. “How ... I have missed you ... so much.”

She walked up to his chair and kneeled down next to him. It was clearly the woman he loved. A small tear ran down her eyes upon seeing his face. She reached out her hands and gripped his. The feel of warmth was incredible to the touch as he felt that he could melt into the furniture.

“It is good to see you again, husband,” Gagana told him.

“You ... you look so young,” Stone said with a smile.

“I’m how you picture me ... are you unhappy with that?” the voice would fluctuate in and out.

“You are always so beautiful. I remember now ... this was how you look the day ... on our honeymoon.”

“And dived into the purple lakes of Aphadus together. I remember when you screamed from the cold water that hit your body.”

“How much I miss those days...” He almost whimpered to her.

“Oh, my sweet husband,” Gagana remarked as she entwined her fingers to his. “You have gotten so old.”

“Fifty-one is not old,” he happily argued back. “You should be my age ... and not so naked either.”

“You want me to wear clothes again?”

He shook his head with a big grin. “No, I don’t.”

She laughed a little bit upon hearing it. “We are all born naked, and when we die, we rejoin the great beyond shedding our manmade skin.”

“Fair enough, Gagana. Fair enough...”

She let go of his hands as she stood up and sat down by his lap. He happily embraced her. His great muscles easily engulfed her petite frame, and the familiar warmth was welcoming.