It was over a thousand years ago that the Dronish civilization realized their growth as a people, and their need for energy, was overtaking the world’s ability to survive. The leaders of the time – for there had been many cities – had tried to reverse that which had been created, but it was too late. Millions perished in the fighting and wars which ensued. Everyone wanted to capture for themselves whatever free energy remained, and more importantly one of the mineralines which were able to provide renewable food. They had drained the crystals so many times that the sun and moons eventually succumbed to the loss of energy.
When the dust finally cleared, all that remained were the dregs of a once-thriving, cosmopolitan world. Those who had ventured out to explore told tales of a dusty land filled with the skeletons of cities and civilizations. Arotia had the last stores of crystals, and eventually all of the Dronish survivors made their way here. But the energy continued to ebb away. The stones required the light of the suns or moons to recharge, and there was only a sliver of moon left.
Sapha knew it was only a matter of time before there was nothing left of Dronish. The world was on its last legs and they were all just waiting for the final sword to fall. The priests tried their best. It was a death sentence to take energy from anything or anyone now, except your allocation of crystal, and it was the same fate if you procreated without permission. They allowed for some new life, simply because there was so much death that if they didn’t have babies, the Drones would have died out a long time ago. Her mother, of course, had not received permission. She said that a foreign male, one who had much power, seduced her with energy. She woke after the overload and she was with young. Knowing Sapha would be different and easily detected, she left Arotia and settled in an abandoned farmhouse outside of the city.
As a child, Sapha had been left alone while her mother went into town to replenish, but otherwise they lived a very quiet, hidden life – until the day her mother had tried to drain Sapha dry. It was just after they’d extended the feeding period to three days. This time period proved to be too long for Cletia. She’d been overcome by her need for sustenance.
Sapha rubbed at her chest. She could still feel the attached sucker, the panic that had flooded her veins as the well of energy inside of her started to drain away. There should be no greater love than that of mother and child, but in the end the hunger had proved greater. No wonder the Drones couldn’t stop themselves before they destroyed the world.
Sapha followed the crowds as they started to move toward the large barriers that had been erected near the entrance of the city. She kept the shadows wrapped tightly around her. She would be invisible except to someone who looked really closely. No one had bothered to notice her before.
Except for Marl.
After his mother died from lack of energy, he’d been abandoned in the market square. Tiny little thing, only four cycles old, he’d noticed Sapha as she skirted the area, having come in for a tiny slice of companionship. Even if no one knew they were providing it, she went a little crazy stuck in her cave all the time. He’d had no fear coming straight up to her and asking her name. They’d been together ever since.
Marl moved gracefully to her side. The small drone started trailing along beside her; they moved with the crowd. “Sapha, you need to be careful. I saw your entire body a moment ago.”
His words would have been difficult to understand if Sapha didn’t have so much practice with the Drone’s strange way of phrasing words. The sucker made it difficult for them to pronounce certain sounds.
“You only saw because you were looking for me,” she said, keeping her voice low.
He snorted, his single eye flashing red in the mild light.
“What do you think is coming?” He was worried. Sapha could always tell by the jitter in his voice.
“I have no idea, but surely nothing would have survived outside of the city.” Sapha left the rest unspoken. If something had survived, who knew what type of monster it might be.
Reaching the barriers, everyone paused before starting to climb. The gates were high but there were handholds all the way up. Not all the Drones climbed up, only the ones who had received their weekly energy. The others would not risk any more of their strength.
Sapha stayed close to Marl, off to the side. Together they scaled the fifteen foot wall. Sapha got her first hand on the top of the hold and paused before she pulled her head up to see over. It was dark outside of the gates, just a sliver of moonlight to break the endless night. She squinted, and then as the scene came into focus she almost lost her grip on the fence and plunged to the ground. It was only by sheer will that her fingertips stayed gripped to the fence.
There was a massive group of Drones just outside the city barrier. Those standing in the front held large poles with black mineralines tied to them. This cast enough light to highlight their fierce expressions.