13 Degrees of Separation (80 page)

The two
Neos came and checked when the girl didn't come immediately out. The sister was
still strapped in, clearly hypothermic, her brother had given her his coat.
Frozen tears were on her eyelashes and face. The skin on her face was blue,
frostbite was starting to set in. The little one didn't have much longer to
live, the priestess realized.

The
priestess pushed the girl aside and checked the little one. Alive, yes, but her
pulse was weak. Blizzard stood back as the wind shifted, she scented something.
Head in the air, she grimaced and her ears went flat as she recognized the
approaching scent. What she smelled she
didn't like.

“If we're going to do something, better
make it fast. Polar bears incoming!” Blizzard said growling. The priestess
looked to the north east and noted a polar bear was indeed coming this way.

“Great, just great,” she growled, annoyed
by the timing. She came to a fast decision. “We've got to get them out fast.
We'll have to get both of them to safety,” she growled towards Blizzard. She
looked at the air car, there was no safety there, it would obviously never fly
again. The top was ripped off, the things that made it fly were torn apart and
scattered across the tundra. The canopy was cracked and broken and wouldn't
stop the bears, no, at least not for long.

She sniffed the air, the bear was about
five kilometers out on the tundra, heading in their direction. The last wind
shift had probably brought the scent of death to them. Like any good carnivore
they were coming to see what was good to eat. She watched the girl get her
sister out and help her to the ground.

“We need
to rig a sled, she can't ride,” the priestess said. She knew she couldn't carry
two.

“I've got
something,” the girl said. She pulled a small child’s sled out of the trunk.
She ran lines to a dog harness then stopped.

“Go ahead
child, put it on me,” the priestess said amused.

“Mother,
I'll do it,” Blizzard said. “I'm younger and stronger than you.”

Her
mother turned, and there was nothing but love and approval in her gaze.
Blizzard stood proud and tall then, aware her mother thought they were doing
good, “nonsense child, you must watch our backs. Now hurry, Blizzard get their
rations and furs, weapons as well. Spread some of the rations on the ground in
the path of the bears. That should slow them down. Eat some and then throw the
packaging in different directions,” she ordered.

“Yes
mother,” Blizzard said, climbing the wreckage and getting to work.

The girl
re-sized the harness to the priestess and put it on her. She lashed Susan to
the sled and hastily stuffed the gear Blizzard tossed her way around her on the
sled. They even ripped out some of the seat covers to use as improvised
blankets.

The girl
then stepped on the runners. “Um... mush?” she said uncertainly.

The
priestess turned to look over her shoulder. “Just don’t get carried away little
one,” the priestess growled amused. She tugged on the harness then when the
sled broke its grip on the ground and snow, began to lope faster and faster for
the tree line. It was easier once the sled was moving, though turning turned
out to be tricky. She'd have to make long wide turns or they both would
overturn she realized. It took a few minutes of adjusting before she got the
rhythm of the movement required.

“Distance?”
she panted, looking over her shoulder. Her daughter looked back and then sped
up. “At least two clicks and closing. One in the lead. He's focusing on the
ration packs like you planned. The other is focused on the wreckage,” Blizzard
responded.

The lead
bear stopped, hesitating between them and the wreckage then turned, sniffing
the air. It slowly turned toward them and stared. After a moment it made its'
decision and went to the wreck.

“That
should keep it occupied for a little while,” Blizzard said in approval.

The girls
whimpered, the wolves focused on the children. Susan was choking back sobs.
“What's the matter little one?” The priestess asked her.

“Goddess,
oh our brother. He... to be eaten... He deserved better,” she cried.

The
priestess panted for a moment before answering. “It's how the world works
child, the chain of life, remember that. But your duty is to the living,
remember that too. From your brothers actions he would have wanted this right?”

“Yes,”
the girl replied softly, biting her lip. She adjusted her scarf to cover her
face then looked down. Her hands had a death grip on the handles to the sled.

“Right
then,” the priestess said continuing onward.

“What's
your name young one?” the priestess finally asked.

“Cali,”
the girl answered after a moment, “Cali Tuggle.”

“And your
sister is Susan, I will remember,” the priestess said, picking her way around a
tree. “Be a good child and concentrate now. We will have to work together to
survive,” she said as the wind howled.

Chapter 2

Fortunately
the crash was only twenty-five kilometers from the cave of the elder mother.
They managed to arrive in the foothills near it in the dying light. It would
have been an exhausting run for any without the double burdens of carrying the
furless one's weight as well as trying to avoid being tracked. The priestess
had done the run on an empty stomach after a hunt and was now near the ragged
edge of her energy reserves.

The
priestess flopped down groaning. “Oh my aching back,” she growled. One hand paw
rubbed at a lower vertebra and abused muscle. She felt hands on her back. Small
hands, not her daughters. She looked to see the young one Cali massaging her as
her mate used to do. She closed her eyes and rested for the moment, enjoying
the soothing massage. Mittens rubbed at her fur.

“Thank
you, thank you for saving us,” the girl murmured. They were sheltering in a
copse of trees that served as a good wind break. It was great to be out of the
wind, but the shade bode ill for the cool temperatures the dying light was
about to bring.

The
priestess's eye opened slightly and rolled to look at the girl. “You're good
with your hands,” she said with approval. She'd have to treat the cut on her
left knuckle later she reminded herself.

“You are
so strong and valiant,” Cali said removing the harness. The priestess opened
one eye to see Cali still rubbing at her. She snorted and shook her head in
amusement, what little the little one could do she was doing.

“Ben is a
friend, we go to great lengths for friends and family, it is the way of the
pack,” the priestess finally said.

Cali
paused, fists clenching. “Was,” Cali said looking tearful and forlorn again.
Now that she was with the human her old experiences of reading them was coming
back to her, her memories of Ben made it easier.

“He's
gone?” she asked a little taken aback. Ben was one of her few Terran contacts,
a good man, one who didn't cheat the pack in their infrequent trades. He was
well known for also giving them the occasional bit of wisdom or Terran
hospitality if the weather turned bad. More than once she'd slept in his cabin
when a storm had trapped her in the settlement.

“He... He
was in the port, it's gone,” Cali whispered, head down.

The
priestess froze at that news. “I can tell there's a story here,” the priestess
said watching the girl. The girl trembled, not just from the cold she realized.
The young one was bearing a terrible burden. The sounds of crunching snow made
them all freeze warily. They looked up to see Blizzard had led the elder mother
back to them. Cali stepped back at seeing the Neo. Unlike the others the elder
walked on her hind feet alone, fully upright and seemingly proud of it. She was
clutching a spear in one arm like a walking staff though and her shoulders were
covered in a white shawl.

Her mane
was long and flowing behind her, part of it was bundled up in beads and a
leather thong. She was white, snow white like Blizzard. She had a buckskin
leather belt around her waist, and a long bush knife belted to it on the left
side. Rheumy but intelligent eyes turned on her, there was a sparkle there, a
lively sparkle.

“Grandmother
you shouldn’t be out in this, it isn’t spring yet, we were coming to you,” the
priestess said dismayed and concerned. Her pack would never forgive her for
risking the grandmother.

“Nonsense
child, though we do need to get these pups into shelter soon, the elder said.
“You're exhausted my granddaughter and these two Terran children won't last the
night now that the sun is down. Let's get you inside where it's warm,” she
said. Her voice as well as her wisdom was gentle but filled with warmth and
humor. It felt good, the priestess wearily thought as the biting breeze cut at
her ears.

Grandmother
helped the priestess to her feet and then had Blizzard change places with her.
Blizzard was resentful, not at the idea of pulling the Terrans but in the
expectation to do so. But she took to the job without voicing a complaint. Cali
hesitantly put the harness on her, adjusting it to Blizzard's smaller frame as
she did so. When she was done she murmured a thank you and rubbed Blizzard's
shoulder as she hugged her, Blizzard felt a little mollified by that. At least
the human was appreciating the effort.

They made
their way to a snow cave. Cali shivered at the thought of spending the night in
such a dark dismal place. They needed a fire she realized. But for now any
shelter in the biting wind and darkness was good, she just wished she had a
fire.

The elder
went into the cave ahead of them. As the girl's eyes adjusted to the darkness
she noted the elder put her hand to the back wall and then pushed on something.
She kicked at something, the outline of a door Cali's tired mind realized. “It
figures, frozen again,” the elder muttered. “Ah, that did it,” she growled in
triumph. “When all else fails hit it!” She said amused. A metal door opened,
bright light spilled out, blinding their night senses momentarily until they
turned away and their eyes adjusted.

Blizzard
shucked the harness right away, staring. Cali dragged the sled inside,
following the two older wolves.

Blizzard
came in behind them, wrinkling her nose, eyes wide at all the new scents,
sounds, and smells. The door shut behind her. Its' shutting made her whirl in
surprise. Suddenly she felt the feeling of being contained, of being trapped
and she didn't like it.

“Is... is
this a shuttle?” Cali asked as they took little Susan off the sled.

“Yes, of
course, little one. Assault shuttle actually,” the elder said looking back.
“You've seen one before?”

“Oh!”
Cali was amazed. She looked around again. “I've... I've always wanted to be in
one. It's big,” she murmured.

“It has
to be,” the elder chuckled. “It carried a platoon of powered combat armor or a
couple vehicles from orbit into battle, complete with gear and ordinance.
That's a lot of material to haul around.” The elder said.

Cali
whistled appreciatively, then her thoughts of Bobby and how he'd kick himself
for missing this made her pause with a sudden intense pang of grief.

“I had
heard that such things still existed,” Blizzard whispered as she reverently
touched a console.

“Of
course. Not many left though, I admit,” the elder sighed. “Damn thing was
always a touch sluggish in foul weather,” she sighed. She picked the smaller
child up and set her down in a pod. Cali froze, shocked.

“What are
you doing?” Cali asked startled.

“Checking
her vitals. Ah yes, hypothermia, frostbite too. We can take care of that easily
enough,” the elder said, studying the controls with a practiced eye.

Blizzard
watched from near the hatch door. She was troubled, she had visions of when she
was a pup, of being here, being in that pod. She looked around. She sniffed,
curious. There was a hint of something. Yes, it was strangely familiar. It
wasn't that long ago. She looked at her mother in confusion.

Her
mother smiled back at her tiredly. The elder chuckled noticing the looks, “Yes,
you were here, when you were a pup. All pups of the packs are checked by me
when they are born. Also you come here if you're ever injured,” the elder
mother said.

“Oh.”
Blizzard said.

“You
probably don't remember much of it, you were very young,” the elder said.

“I
gathered that,” Blizzard replied with some dignity. She looked over to her
mother who was resting as comfortably as she could, drinking in the sudden warmth.

Cali
pulled her mittens off as the heat registered. Her hands tingled as warmth
returned. She had pulled her jacket open as the door had closed. She was
wearing a yellow sweater underneath. “Wwwwarm, oh it's so good to be warm,” she
said hugging herself.

“Yes,”
the priestess agreed. She was by the door, curling up in a ball. She was
exhausted and hungry, but had no intention of begging for food from the elder.
Such was simply not done, she could wait.

Blizzard
sat, watching the elder intently. Her avid eyes drank in the sight of the short
stubby fingers flashing about the controls of the pod and shuttle. The
priestess watched her daughter and snorted. “You've been to the trading post
with me often enough daughter,” she said.

“Yes but
this... this is different, one of us is doing it,” Blizzard replied, briefly
looking at her mother and then back to the elder.

The elder
snorted softly but continued her work. It was a sad thing that her people had
fallen this far. She hadn't wanted it. She'd wanted... she shook herself off
the familiar mental rant and focused on the here and now. “What happened?” the
elder asked. She looked up and over to the human, “Got lost?”

Cali's
eyelids were heavy, the effort of getting here, the cold, the stress and then
the sudden warmth and safety were all pressing down on her but she struggled
valiantly to keep awake. “No, we ah... crashed,” Cali said, sitting down in a
chair.