Collecting (5 page)

“
So, you and your cousin rebuilt the brain of this ship?
”
Weelar swallowed nervously.

“
No, we built a brain for this ship. There wasn
’
t one. The whole front compartment was ripped wide open by your ships. We used the engines and the framework. The rest was shaped one panel at a time.
”

She heaved the tanks onto her shoulder, lifted the bag of items she had collected and walked toward her pride and joy.

Rivvin had a bag of his own with him, but he grabbed her tanks from her without a word. Weelar was hanging back as if afraid to get too close to the Tokkel construction.

Her boots thudded on the plank as she headed onto the deck of the Nitka. She caressed the side of the ship,
“
Hello, sweetie.
”

Rivvin looked at her with an amused expression, and Weelar rushed onto the deck, relaxing by inches.

“
Are we ready? Do we need anything?
”

Rivvin gave her a challenging look.
“
Do we have water and food aboard?
”

Em lifted her bag.
“
Dry rations and well water, but it will do.
”

Weelar swallowed,
“
If we find likely species, we can have something for lunch.
”

She chuckled and went to the controls, withdrawing the plank and placing her hands on the flat screen for identification. A halo emerged from the ship, and with a smooth move, she settled it on her head.

“
What is that, Emharo?
”

“
The controls. Take a seat, we are on our way.
”

With no other warning, the ship lifted in the water and headed out to sea.

Chapter Seven

The Nitka was stable in the water. It rode high on a cushion of air and water for balance. Ula’s engine design was amazing, and it always struck Em that her friend was truly one of the most brilliant and tortured people that Em had ever met.

She came to the seating area and smiled at her guests.
“
So, do you have a plan once we arrive?
”

Rivvin smiled,
“
Of course. I have a series of tags that I will use to mark the species that were identified in our histories as being suitable for tank raising. Once the markers are in place, I will summon a collecting ship, and it will come and scoop up the entire shoal of fish.
”

“
Good. Weelar, will you be entering the water? We have a wet hatch in the bottom of the ship.
”
She offered it to him, sensing that he would prefer to enter the water from a secure are.

“
I will. It has been a while, and I don
’
t think I have ever been in open water before.
”

Em was confused,
“
I thought you were one of the Water Folk?
”

Weelar sighed,
“
I am. I have spent my life on star ships, so open water is actually a foreign thing to me.
”

Rivvin explained,
“
Just as most of the city dwellers here would not be able to forage in the woods or sea, not all Water Folk have experience in wild water.
”

Em blushed.
“
I am sorry. I should not have assumed.
”

Weelar waved his hand to dismiss her words.
“
It is fine. It happens a lot.
”

“
I can swim with you if you like?
”

He looked at her in confusion.
“
How?
”

“
I brought a dive suit and swim tanks. I can
’
t breathe water, but I can swim with fair dexterity, and more importantly, I know what the sea creatures around here consider to be normal behaviour.
”
She smiled in a helpful manner.

Rivvin frowned.
“
I don
’
t want you in open water.
”

She smiled brightly.
“
Tough. This is my job, and I will do it. You do yours and keep yourself safe. I will take care of me.
”

“
That is not going to happen.
”

Em crossed her arms and frowned at him.
“
If you cut my lines, I will free dive.
”

Weelar was looking frantically between the two of them.
“
You two are pairing off?
”

Em scowled at him.
“
Not if Rivvin doesn
’
t pull his head out of his ass.
”

She stalked back to the front of the vessel and looked out over the waves. She leaned her head back, closed her eyes and focussed on finding the current. In the distance, a low lavender gleam began, and as the Nitka got closer to it, it shifted into her gold identifier for a desired object.

Rivvin came up next to her.
“
I apologize. I am dealing with some changes within me that I am not completely at ease with.
”

She turned and went up on her toes, kissing him softly.
“
I am dealing with this as well. I don
’
t know what being with you will entail, and it scares the hell out of me.
”

He brushed his hand along her cheek.
“
There will be change, on both our parts. I am afraid that the bulk will fall on you after we formalize our bond.
”

“
You are that sure of yourself?
”

“
I am that sure of you. You knew that I was yours the moment that you saw me. Your heartbeat changed and your blood warmed.
”

She swallowed nervously.
“
You can see all that?
”

“
My people developed as ocean predators. It is what we are designed to see.
”
He pressed a kiss to her cheek.

“
We are almost to the current.
”

“
I will prepare the tags.
”
He nipped gently at her lower lip before he turned and joined Weelar in the rear of the vessel.

Emharo tugged her duffel open and withdrew her dive suit and gear. She tested her tanks and waited until they were coasting into the dive spot before putting the portable remote on her wrist.

A jump, wiggle and jerk and she had her dive suit on to the waist over her swimsuit.

Weelar saw her, and his eyes widened in shock.
“
You are wearing that?
”

“
The suit has insulating properties. I don
’
t repel water like you do, so I have to wear the suit on dives like this.
”
She wedged her arms into the sleeves and jerked the suit up into position. With smooth moves, she sealed the suit.
“
The wet entry is this way. Nitka will remain here, in position, unless I call for her.
”

She grabbed her tanks, mask and fins and smiled as she led the way down a ramp that opened at her approach. The Nitka settled in place.

Rivvin had his own bag with him, and Weelar looked like he was about to be sick.

Inside the underbelly of her ship, the wet entry opened at her touch. It was an octagon fifteen feet wide and a bright UV light was aimed at the opening.

“
The Nitka puts out a repulsion field that keeps the entrance clear. No predator will follow anyone who is not us under the ship. Weelar, is that understood? If you just want to look around, stay under the ship.
”

Weelar nodded.

“
With the mask in my mouth, I won
’
t be able to speak and I don
’
t have time to teach you the hand signals that I have worked out, so go out, do what you have to and come back to the ship.
”

Rivvin knelt and assembled the gun that would fire the trackers, putting the spares in a net bag tied to his thigh. He nodded.
“
Understood. Weelar will be able to find me if I end up getting lost.
”

Emharo smiled,
“
As will I. Don
’
t make me come looking for you.
”

He grinned and jumped into the water, circled and then swam away.

She put her tanks on her back and sat at the edge of the entry.
“
Coming?
”

Weelar nodded.
“
If you can do it, I can do it.
”

With her mask and respirator in place, she tipped backward into the cool embrace of the ocean.

A splash next to her brought Weelar into sight.

Smiling around her respirator, she pointed and led him through the water and toward the reef teeming with life.

The bright colours of the fish were a delight to Weelar. His face was expressive and his hands were curious. She stopped him several times when he reached out for something poisonous, and he hopefully read her warning in what was visible of her face.

Out in the column of the current, Rivvin flashed and flickered as he moved around and found his target species.

She pointed out several edible species to him, including her personal favourite, sugar fish. What the Nine called them, she had no idea, but the meat was sweet and had a hint of citrus. She loved them.

When the first predator swam past, Weelar froze in place. Em showed him the calm pose to take and the beast disappeared into the distance.

He let out a stream of bubbles as he sighed.

A ping on her wrist warned her that her oxygen was low, and she patted her tank and pointed back to the hull of the Nitka.

Weelar was disappointed, but he accompanied her back to the ship with slow and easy motions.

Em stepped on the hydraulic lift while Weelar boosted himself out of the water. Her hands unbuckled the tanks, and she peeled off her mask.
“
So, did you have fun?
”

“
There is so much to see.
”
Weelar
’
s voice was amazed.

“
There is. I have been down a hundred times and still haven
’
t seen it all.
”
She grinned and hauled her tanks to the filter and compressor.

“
Is this area pressurized?
”

“
Of course. If you want to go up to the deck, step on those stairs, seal the tube that will come around and walk up the spiral staircase to the deck. The hatch will open and seal behind you so that I don
’
t drown.
”

He nodded and sat down.
“
I will wait for you.
”

She chuckled and worked to purge and fill her tanks again.

“
You always refill them immediately?
”

“
Yes. If I have to return to the water, I need to be able to act immediately. Waiting to refill the tanks could cost a life.
”
She grimaced.

“
I understand. Are you going to mate with Rivvin?
”

She paused.
“
I don
’
t know. I think so. I am not sure what is involved.
”

“
Genetic transfer. There is a formal ceremony that you would enact at the embassy, and during the ceremony, there is a blood exchange. We share the ceremony with the Wildings. Not all species of the Nine need to key their females to them in such a way, but most do just for the sake of tradition.
”

She blinked.
“
Wow. We just get up in front of witnesses and make a promise.
”

He cocked his head.
“
How does that stop partners from straying?
”

“
It doesn
’
t.
”

“
Then, you have an inferior system. Once a couple genetically keys to each other, they are not stimulated by anyone else.
”

“
Ah. Well, that is nice.
”
She twisted her lips and checked her equipment again.

“
What was that fish called that you pointed out to me?
”

Em smiled.
“
I call them sugar fish. They are sweet and have the charming tang of citric acid. I don
’
t know what you would call them.
”

A clattering of the spear gun made her jump. Rivvin boosted himself out of the water, and there was a long, thin filament tied to his waist. He began to haul on it, and to Emharo
’
s surprise, there were four huge silvery fish on the end of the line.

Weelar chortled with delight and helped Rivvin bring in the haul. The moment they were on the side of the entrance, Emharo closed the wet entry and the ramp descended again.

She began to get an idea of the strength of the Water Folk when Rivvin flipped the four fish onto the deck and he pulled a knife out of his bag to begin gutting them. Each of the silvery, hard-fleshed fish had to weigh over a hundred kilos.

He reached into the belly and pulled out something, grinning in triumph when he produced it.

Weelar was staring.
“
Is that what I think it is?
”

“
A Carring pearl. These four fish all have them inside.
”

Rivvin continued butchering the fish, so Emharo brought up the storage well.
“
What is a Carring pearl?
”

“
Carring was the Water Folk capitol city. If these fish have the pearls in them, they have been there.
”

“
I don
’
t understand. What is the significance of the pearls?
”