After the fall....

  Aurelia wakes up sprawled on her back upon a pile of what appears to be discarded metalloid parts. She rolls onto her stomach, rising up on her knees and palms. Surveying the area around her, Aurelia ascertains that she is indeed alone.

  Everywhere, as far as the eye can see, are heaps and heaps of hollowed out arachnoid robot shells. Legs and carapaces either glisten in the few beams of light from above, or sit rusted upon the lumped up dirt within the cavern. Even the dirt appears to be comprised of primarily rust, its reddish color suggesting this operation has been going on for quite some time.

  Aurelia picks up a rusted arachnoid head and stares into the vacant spaces which once held it many robotic eyes. She heaves an unhappy sigh and tosses the head away. It slams into a pile of bent robot legs before skittering down a mini hill of rusted carapaces. Finally, the arachnoid head comes to rest against one of its long defunct brethren's rusted feet. Aurelia releases another disheartened sigh. She climbs to her feet, straining her ears to hear what is going on above.

  "I don't hear any more firing. Are they...?"

  Loud clanking causes Aurelia to halt speaking. She dives behind a pile of rusted carapaces to her immediate left. Someone is coming. More than one someone.

  For several moments, Aurelia simply hides behind her chosen mound. She desperately works to slow her breathing down, fearful that even the slightest sound will give away her position. After what seems like forever, four beings make their way into the arachnoid robot graveyard. Captain Hilyard peeks out from behind her hiding place as the heavy footsteps grow closer. Once again, Aurelia's mouth falls open in shock. The leader of the group is the same being who was stationed at the entryway of the alien ship's cargo hold. But it is not who she'd believed it to be. It is not Mr. Yoth. Then, who? Who is this Cthulhu cousin. She has never seen this particular person before.

  "The other creatures fled back to their ships," a large unknown alien says in a barking voice which reminds Aurelia of an angry canine. "At least one of them was severely wounded. They took one of the girgoghs with them when they fled. Mamith is attempting to track them through their cloaking technology. They won't get far. There is nowhere for them to go."

  "Hmmm," the well-dressed cousin of Cthulhu says without much enthusiasm. "And you are certain the female ended up here?"

  "Yes," barking alien says. "I saw her fall through the ground, myself. From my lookout position on the opposite ledge. She should be down here somewhere. She may even be injured. That was quite a fall."

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  "Hmmm," Cthulhu Cousin says again. "I sense no movement now. She may have wandered off into another portion of the complex. Take the others and look for her. Leave no stone unturned. Find her. And bring her to me."

  "But, that will leave you--"

  "Go. Now! Do not waste time questioning my orders, Uiowky! We can ill afford to have a strange alien wandering through our facility and discovering our most hidden secrets. I will search here. Find her!"

  "Yes, Sir!"

  Uiowky and the other two guards head off in one direction. Cthulhu cousin draws his plasmashot weapon and heads in the opposite direction, straight past where Aurelia is hidden behind her pile of arachnoid parts. Aurelia watches the Cthulhu creature stroll away through the inky darkness of the cavern. She waits until the footsteps of the three guards have faded before quietly climbing to her feet.

  So the killer of her father is also a betrayer of the Cthulhu Clan? Why isn't she surprised? After over a decade aiding her father to combat hostile aliens and adversarial Terrans--across the entirety of Terran Space--nothing surprises her anymore. None of it matters. Cthulhu cousin or not; the traitor will die. He will join his robotic creations littered upon the cavern floor.

  Aurelia stealthily follows the Cthulhu traitor for several minutes, going deeper and deeper into the bowels of the cave. At one point, the traitor turns and appears to sniff the air, bright green color radiating along the tentacles on his neck and shoulders. Aurelia presses her back against a large pile of metal carapaces and twisted arachnoid legs. When the traitor commences his steady march, Aurelia waits a few beats before following him again.

  Reaching a split in the path, the Cthulhu creature takes the left fork. Aurelia temporarily loses sight of him. The captain's heartbeat accelerates and she curses under her breath.

  "Damn. No, no, no. I can't lose him. Damn!" Aurelia chides herself in frustration. "Oh hurry, Aurelia. He's going to get away."

  Aurelia speed walks to the spot where she last saw the traitor and takes the same fork in the path. However, the Cthulhu being is nowhere in sight. Aurelia places both hands on her waist and pouts.

  "Oh no. Where the hell did he go? No," she whispers to herself. "How do you lose someone in a place like this? Oh man!"

  A metal carapace crashing to the cave floor, followed by a loud curse--in the language of the Cthulhu Clan--brings a wry smile to Aurelia's lips. So the beast had been attempting to trick her. He'd been hoping to flush her out. Too bad the level of his clumsiness is matched only by his mark as a traitor to his own kind.

  Aurelia draws her father's pistol and inches further down the path. It won't be long now. How satisfying it will be to blow the traitor's face off of his traitorous body. Maybe she will take one of his tentacles and present them to Mr. Yoth. Then, they can both rest easy--knowing that their enemy has ceased to exist.

  Another movement. A scrape. Aurelia levels her plasmashot weapon and moves very quietly forward. She peeks around an exceptionally high pile of robotic parts. The traitor, he is right there. Less than ten feet away. His back is to her and he is peering around yet another wide pile of rusted arachnoid parts. He is looking for her. Well, here she is.

  Aurelia does not bother to think. She simply leaps.