Toxers
The Trash Planet
Chapter 1
We are thirsty.
Not a thirst that can be quenched by mere water, but a deeper thirst, one that crackles the skin and weakens the bones. One that blocks the pours of sweat and could start a fire with a sandpaper tongue.
The draught has lasted 32 star cycles, it came suddenly, in the height of polluted
rain season. We were unprepared, our water tanks nearing empty as we anticipated the acidic dark green droplets to fall from the sky to. But it never came, and hasn’t come.
Our Tox leaves are dying, without the rain they have been unable to grow, When they die, we die.
I sit in our small compounds town hall, the wooden walls hugging us as it provides shelter from the sweltering heat. The medium fan, our only cooling system, providing a low hum as our 12th Emeraldian speaks.
‘As you know our storage supplies are depleting’ His deep voice providing echo in the in the dome shaped room.
‘We will begin rations, however it we only have 21 star cycles of Tox leaves and Polluted water left’
Unsteady murmurs begin to fill the compounds cramped town hall.
‘We need to send word to the Capital, but as you know our most capable left 30 star cycles ago to begin their Bloodstone and Peridot initiations, it means less mouths to feed but none here are strong enough to travel across the Moondom to request the help we need’
He wasn’t wrong, I look around the hall at the majority old and equally young faces. Mothers cradle
their young and the 1st Gens stand at the back with deep worried looks on their faces.
We, the 1st Generation are too weak to even consider leaving the safety of the compound so we are the servants and the workers of the field, while the 2 nd and 3 rd Gens leave to become Bloodstone or even Peridots serving the Toxer Military.
It’s unfair, I think to myself, If only I could go back in the womb and emerge with more mutations than the basic green skin and toxic resistant lungs.
Eyes still fixed on our Emeraldian I let it fall to the girl sitting beside where he stood, she was large even when sitting and 3rd Gen like her father, our leader. Her extra fingers rest her head as her thick muscular leg lay lazily on top the other. Her face sculpted from the most flawless Jade, Burning green shaded by her firm eyelids. I trace her face with my eyes and let them fall lower, a jaw sharp like razors still couldnt cut my gaze away, she stole me whenever we were in the same room. Our eyes meet, her emerald pearls forcing me to look down as my stomach churned.
Our Emeraldian eyes fall to us 1 st Gens standing at the back
‘With a heavy heart and great urgency I ask you, the 1 st Gens to volunteer yourselves to escort my daughter, the strongest of our remaining forces Across the Moondom to the Capital to request for much needed aid’
A silence fell, so silent I could hear the quickening of the blood pumping through my chest and blood running through my veins. The air grew heavy as we all knew what this meant.
Dark and expressionless faces of my kin did not move an inch less they draw attention to themselves and are chosen.
This is as good as a death sentence for us. The factions of the forgotten moon despise us, think us ugly, they will kill us on sight. We have no battle experience, nor speed nor strength, we are as practice dummies for our enemy or worse, food for the roaming monstrosities that claim these lands.
We are not strong enough.
But did he say escort his daughter?
I steal a glance at the emerald eyes again, and my chest began to tighten
She doesn’t even know me nor probably cares to, but I care for her, I always have.
My feet shuffle
Maybe this will be a chance to become more than just a 1st Gen like my mother and father and the ones before them
I shake my head.
I could never become a bloodstone, I am too weak. Even if I could somehow prove my worth, my weakness is not something that can be overcome.I perish the thought and return my focus on the leader.
‘Are any of you willing?’ He asks still looking at us back row Toxers
‘Ha as if a sickly 1 st Gen would ever have the balls’ an older Peridot says from the first row
Many snigger in agreement.
My gaze falls to the ground, embarrassment filling my chest.
A small laugh escapes the cracked lips of the girl who was just swarming my thoughts a twinkle ago.
Of course she agrees, but it’s to be expected.,
A hand pushes me forward and I let out a small yelp that somehow echoes across the domed room.
All eyes fall on me.
‘We have one volunteer it seems’
The looks from all in the room feel like a thousand velocespiders crawling along my skin, I can’t back out now or I would be the laughing stock of the whole town and worse, I’ll be proving them right.
I straighten my posture and stand firm, holding the eyes of the 12 th Emeraldian.
‘And what is your name Child’
‘I am Karlin Argo of the Argo family name, Child of Margs Argo and Karlee Argo’
I say proudly with a fist to my chest out of respect to our leader.
‘Ah,’
His deep set eyes glimmer with recognition
‘The Argos have been loyal servants to my family for near 100 solar cycles, you come from good stock’ He nods
‘Any others?’
My eyes look across the faces of my kin and they meet with my mothers. My poor lovely mother. Her glare was cold, and face unmoving, sunken eyes never met mine and i felt as dark as her deep green skin.
Not my son too.
I force my eyes away when a confident voice booms from my side.
‘I’ll represent my kin as is my duty to serve our kind, I volunteer to help us survive’
A smile cracks the lips of our too thirsty leader.
‘And who are you?’ he says with pride his large frame turning to address this new volunteer
‘The names Oswin Shew, Child of Tai and Preter Shew’
He turns to give me a wink.
Did the hand come from him?
His name is very well known within our generation and my best friend, almost brother. Towering over the rest of us he is often mistaken as a 2 nd Gen but his skinny almost frail frame gives him away.
He is the strongest of us, the fastest but not the smartest, I like to think that’s me. Despite his
renown amongst us low gens it seems it hasn’t spread to the 3 rd Gens. And why would it? We are ViperAnts to them, small and easily stepped on.
‘You are a big lad’
Surprise in our Leaders tone, but not his face, he is always stoic, always as stiff as a mountain he is family fabled to be carved from.
‘With even bigger balls’ he says with a smirk in his voice.
‘I doubt that’ says the same voice from before.
‘Want to see?’ he rebuttals.
‘Enough!’
Says a sharp but elegant voice.
‘You will speak when spoken to and you will show your betters respect.’
Our Leaders daughter, Argah her name, directs at the smirking Preter.
Better?
My ears prick at the word.
Better.
The other factions of the moon think they are better, so why treat ourselves the same way? I scoff atthe hypocrisy.
Preter bows slightly his fist still resting on his chest ’Apologies Your Gemstone, I meant no
Disrespect’
he says softly but still loud enough to be heard over the fan that still hums along.
She returns to her seat and our leader continues giving her an approving glance.
‘Anymore?’
Silence swallows us once more.
‘No matter, a small squadron won’t attract attention as you travel across the Moondom. Rations start tomorrow. Karlin and Preter, meet me in the war room in 60 twinkles. Dismissed’
I let out an exhale I didn’t know I was holding, bodies begin to fill out of the multiple exits. The 1st Gens will be going back to the fields or the houses they serve, the work day not yet over. The remaining 2 nd Gens skulk back to their guard post or overseer positions and the 3 rd gens go back to doing whatever they sickly damn do.
Preter looks at me with and almost excited look in his black eyes, excitement filling his body as he fidgets, He is handsome by Toxer beauty standards, he’s always been just as he’s always been the man I can trust.
Except today.
I give him the dirtiest look I can muster.
‘Are you out of your sickly damn mind?’ I spit at him, words battling against my clenched teeth, a rush of heat overcoming me
‘You’ve. Killed. Us.’ I tremble
‘It’s always been our dream t-’
‘NO, It’s always been YOUR dream to leave the compound’ I interrupt
‘This could be our chance to achieve something other than planting crops, you’ve always said we’re destined for more, well now the time has come’ he continues.
‘How can we achieve more if we are dead?’ I ask shaking my head.
‘You weren’t expecting more to just fall into our lap did you?’ he scoffs.
‘We are 1 st Gens, we never get to leave, to achieve. This opportunity will never come again and I will die before I become fertiliser for the next crop of Tox leaves’
‘So you’d rather become food for the beasts? Or a hunt for the razors?’
‘I will become great’ he says. As seriously as I have ever seen him.
A silence falls around us, but for only half a twinkle.
‘But I can’t do it without you, my right hand, the brain to my brawn. Will you help me prove that st Gens are worth more than how many Tox leaves we produce or how well we serve our...betters?’
He was partly right, we will never be able to achieve behind the thick concrete walls of the
compound, we’ll be stuck in the shadow of our betters toiling in the soil till the star takes us.
‘Always, brother’ I say not so reluctantly, feeling slightly excited myself
If he is to die, it will not be alone.
We will achieve greatness.
