{"id":2768,"date":"2025-03-30T07:59:25","date_gmt":"2025-03-30T14:59:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/?p=2768"},"modified":"2025-03-30T07:59:25","modified_gmt":"2025-03-30T14:59:25","slug":"gap-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/2025\/03\/30\/gap-year\/","title":{"rendered":"Gap Year"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

prompt: Situate your character in a hostile or dangerous environment.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

available at Reedsy<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The haze blocking out the morning sky was the color of infectious decay. The weak sun, faint behind the fetid smog was an omen \u2014 of what, Zeke couldn\u2019t tell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mask secure and seals checked, Ezekiel \u201cZeke\u201d Rankin, self-appointed scout, let himself out through the airlock to the cool, damp morning air. The silent alien city extended endlessly. What used to be a thriving ecumenopolis had been turned into a graveyard. Continent sized chunks of the city had been flattened, while others stood with no visible damage beyond the poisoned sky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The mission, including Zeke\u2019s family, had set up in a hospital in one of those \u201cundamaged\u201d sections. His mother came to help any survivors and care for the other volunteers, his sister came to help clean up the chemical weapons fallout. At fifteen years of age, Zeke wasn\u2019t given much choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He climbed down the access ladder to the tunnels beneath the city. A nearby area had lost power, and he was determined to find the hospital\u2019s power source before it sputtered to a stop as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aside from three doctors at the hospital, all the aliens Zeke had seen had been dead. He\u2019d come across hundreds, if not a thousand, so far. Conventional wisdom said there were likely no other survivors that hadn\u2019t been evacuated from the planet. Which made the sound in the tunnel more concerning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He thought about giving up the search for the day. The thought of his mother treating the volunteers who\u2019d been exposed, and his sister in her lightweight flyer, piercing through the smog itself to test various neutralizers in the atmosphere firmed his resolve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHello?\u201d he called out. He continued on toward the sound he\u2019d heard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He turned the corner and felt something hard against his ribs. He didn\u2019t speak much of the alien\u2019s language, but enough to understand the words \u201cstop\u201d and \u201calien.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He raised his hands to show them empty. In his best attempt at their language, broken and halting, he said, \u201cGood morning. My name Zeke. Mission, me\u2026here, uh, today.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The alien switched to Interstellar Trade Language. At least it was a required subject in school, and he was almost as proficient as he was in English. \u201cWhere did you come from? You are not the aliens that attacked us, what are you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m human, from the Sol Federation. I\u2019m here with my mother and sister who are helping with the recovery mission.\u201d He cleared his throat. \u201cSorry I messed up your language. My name is Zeke, what\u2019s yours?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAbref.\u201d The hard object was removed from his ribs and the bearer stepped in front of him. In the dim lights, at a distance, it would be easy to mistake the alien for a tall, slender person with a long tail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zeke caught his thoughts and corrected them. That <\/em>is<\/em> a person, and <\/em>I\u2019m<\/em> the alien here.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hard thing that had been pressed against his ribs turned on. It was a torch. In the wash of light, the creature \u2014 person<\/em> \u2014 holding it had grey-blue skin with a disheveled mane of muddy orange that began between its eyes and lengthened at the crest of its head. He knew that the mane continued down the center of the back to join in the fur on the tail. The mane said male, but the coloration said female, at least as far as Zeke knew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Abref\u2019s nostril slits flared, then relaxed. \u201cYou\u2019ve been on the surface.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zeke nodded. \u201cI have. Is the air in here safe?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is. For my kind at least. What do you aliens breathe?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOxygen, same as you.\u201d He lifted the mask off, and the smell of something rotting hit him like a wall. \u201cWhat is that smell?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe farm. You get used to it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ll take your word for it. Sorry, but I have to ask, are you male or female?\u201d Zeke was about to apologize for his rudeness, but Abref stopped him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m a maned female. Never seen one? You\u2019re pretty new here, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been here for eighteen local days,\u201d he said. \u201cHow long have you been surviving down here? Why didn\u2019t you evacuate?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThose of us at the farm closed up tight when the sirens went off the first time,\u201d she said. \u201cThat was sixty-one days ago. Some of us braved the surface to evacuate, but with the reports of bombardment, the rest of us decided to stay put.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe city right above you is still untouched,\u201d Zeke said, \u201cexcept for the poison. The mission is set up in the hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow are you set for food up there?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got emergency rations for about ninety days, with more coming whenever the next supply run happens.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAny fresh food?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNothing like that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFollow me.\u201d She walked off without waiting for him. The torch provided something to follow in the dim tunnels that often turned completely dark as they went further from the main utility access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The farm was a well-lit chamber the size of which would embarrass a stadium. Water flowed in from one side, trickled through fields the size of football pitches, and out the other side to continue on somewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those fields were rich with what could best be described as mutant mushrooms with different fruits and vegetables sprouting from the same base mycelium. Half a dozen others worked fields, stopping when they realized their compatriot had not returned alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After filling the other workers in on who Zeke was, and what was going on with the mission, one of them asked him, \u201cWhich hospital?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zeke thought for a moment, \u201cIt\u2019s Pabor-something.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPaborabal?\u201d one asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, that\u2019s not it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPorablorial?\u201d another asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, no.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cProbiraporo?\u201d Abref asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the one!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They talked among themselves in their language, before Abref tapped him on the shoulder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWould you help us deliver some food to Probiraporo?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow will you get it there? Do you have gas masks?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Abref pointed at a cart loaded with produce. \u201cYou grab that one. The farms all have delivery shafts to the nearest markets and hospitals.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zeke pushed the cart, following the workers and the six carts they pushed. \u201cI meant to find out where the power for the hospital is generated. The power\u2019s out a short distance away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe turned off the power there,\u201d Abref said. \u201cOne of the filters failed and it was pulling the poison into the undercity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh. How long can we expect the power to stay on here?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWithout regular maintenance, probably sixty or seventy local orbits.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They pushed the carts into an open-sided lift that started to rise. \u201cThat\u2019s good to know,\u201d Zeke said, \u201csince they say they\u2019ll have the air clean within the next two orbits, and people can start coming home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWon\u2019t the gurgrons just attack again?\u201d she asked as the floor of the receiving bay opened above them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe won\u2019t let them.\u201d The man that answered her question relaxed, dropping the aim of the rifle he\u2019d had pointed at the lift. \u201cWe\u2019re glad to see there\u2019s still survivors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAbref, this is Clint. He\u2019s the head of security for the mission.\u201d Zeke gestured to the others with him. \u201cClint, Abref and the others are from a farm beneath the city.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ll alert the other missions to keep a look out for more survivors in the farms,\u201d Clint said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou said you won\u2019t let them attack again. How can you stop them?\u201d Abref asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMajor Clint Collins, Sol Federation Forces, here with the Interstellar Trade Union Peacekeeping Task Force.\u201d He moved to grab one of the carts. \u201cThe Task Force, along with Sol military, is chasing down the remaining gurgron fleets. Their home world is already in a blockade until they unilaterally disarm.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy would you do that?\u201d Abref cocked her head. \u201cWe aren\u2019t even members of the Union yet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAh, but you\u2019ve applied and there are already trade deals in the making.\u201d Clint pushed the cart toward the kitchens. \u201cThat\u2019s close enough as to make no difference.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As they unloaded the carts in the kitchen, Abref paused and looked at Zeke. \u201cI understand why the Major\u2019s here \u2014 military orders and all, but what about the rest of you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, my mother\u2019s a doctor, so she\u2019s here to do that, and my older sister is an atmospheric pilot with the ITU Disaster Relief Association.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd you?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m only fifteen, and I graduated two years early. I\u2019m too young to be allowed to be on my own for an entire year, and it was either take a gap year here with my mom before University or start right away with a state-appointed guardian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not an adult yet, and you chose to do something so dangerous?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zeke shrugged. \u201cIt\u2019s not the worst thing ever, getting to spend time with my sister that I rarely see. Besides, I\u2019ve been looking forward to my gap year since I was seven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clint laughed. \u201cGood kid. What\u2019re you planning on going to school for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI still haven\u2019t decided.\u201d Zeke began emptying the next cart. \u201cThat\u2019s what a gap year is for, yeah?\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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