Duality

From far away or even relatively close, there appeared to be no life stirring in the cold, dark desert. The only things there appeared to be sand dunes,and one could only see those through the shadow if one had good night vision.

And yet, if there were anyone to witness it, they would have observed that one of the sand dunes appeared to be moving. They also would have seen it get up, stretch, and pick up a blaster and a shield.

The figure prodded the "dune" next to it. "Wake up. We're moving on now."

The "dune" stirred, groaned, and got up slowly. Now there were two figures in the darkness.

"It seems awfully early for that," said the second, picking up a large gun and a longsword. His eyes lit up orange, beams of heat flaring from them, both illuminating their way and making a pathway of glass for them.

"How would you know? It's always dark anyway," said the first. "Let's just get going."

They moved down the glass pathway, talking in hushed voices.

"Where are we going, anyway? There's really no point if we don't know if it's worth it. At least back there, there was water," grumbled the first.

"We're looking for light, a safe haven, and company. Not counting you as company," retorted the second.

"I never asked to go on a nighttime walk with a half-mad Vortixx, you
know. We could have survived where we were," snapped the first.

"It's not nighttime any more than it's always daytime. And you know that you wouldn't have been happy there. I'd prefer if we could find other people, and I'm sure you would too - besides, if we did, it would immediately follow that we were in a safe, habitable area," reasoned the second.

"I suppose you're right," conceded the second. But in his heart, he knew he couldn't just go wherever the Vortixx wanted. He was a loner. And if he couldn't talk the other into leaving him alone, then he would have to take matters into his own hands.

They walked through the darkness for what seemed like mio, alternating talking as they went with silent trudging through the desert, odd winds whipping around them at irregular intervals, occasional bizarre noises sounding in the distance then stopping abruptly.

They camped when they could go no farther, exhaustedly setting up their camouflaged
hides for the "night". The Vortixx ignited a fire with his laser vision and some precious flammable material. After planning their next step with an old map they had found long ago, they settled in to get some rest.

The Vortixx slept almost immediately, but the other didn't. He listened until he was sure the other was asleep, then set to work.

He made dragging marks and tracks around the camp, appearing to lead to where his hide had been. He packed up his sleeping hide and a secret stash of food he kept, then left bits of debris and scrap metal around to make it appear that he had been killed by a night-Rahi.

He was sure the other wouldn't be quite fooled by even all that, but the Vortixx wouldn't be able to do anything - he could go in any direction, and by the time the Vortixx woke up, he would be kio away anyway.

He looked back for a moment at the hide which concealed the Vortixx. He had known him for millions of years, served under him, been his friend... and now he was leaving for the last time, possibly never to see him again.

He would have said goodbye, but his absence had to be a secret, and time was running down. He merely gave a short nod, a faraway expression in his eyes... then he turned and ran as fast as he could, away from his friend and leader, away from the future that might have been his, away from everything he knew and his past...



The Vortixx awoke with a start hours later. He lay there for a second, then got up to wake the other. But when he got out of his hide, all he saw by the light of his laser vision was pieces of the other hide and bits of scattered armor. He glanced to the right and saw giant tracks.

He knew something was suspicious about this - if there were a night-Rahi, why had it taken just the other and not him? But if it was rigged, and his companion had finally left as he had said he would, then there was nothing he could do.

He turned away sadly. He packed up his meager belongings and began to walk on. He would likely never see his friend again.

As he walked, he thought he saw a red, flickering light in the distance. Odd, he thought absently, still thinking of his former companion.

Then the light came again from the distance, flaring and flaming. This time, there was no mistaking the source - fire, and a large one too.

The Vortixx now had all his attention focused on it. No desert Rahi makes fire, he said to himself. This must mean that there is a sentient being out there.

He broke into a run, his feet clacking against the glass pathway he made as he sped along. If there was anyone there... he was the one to find them.