To The Stars (The Harry Irons Trilogy) (21 page)

"Any chance we might take another trip down to the surface?" Harry searched Fagen's unyielding face.

"We'll just have to see how things turn out. Get your mind off it, Harry, I may need you to assist in an EVA operation."

Gathering the thought slowly, Harry blinked. "EVA? You mean across to the alien ship?"

Uncharacteristically, Fagen cracked a smile. "Wouldn't that be a kick?"

Chapter 18

Arai was tired. They'd traveled all day, stopping at intervals only long enough to let their captive catch up. It had been hours since Arai had offered water, and the thing had refused to take any then. He stopped at a place where rain water gathered in the crook of a tree. With a cup fashioned from a gourd, he scooped out the water and drank.

He could tell the tall creature was wary by the way it approached. It hesitated, but then saw the water and came a step closer. Arai motioned for the thing to take the gourd. It hesitated, then grabbed it, making sure to avoid touching Arai. He giggled as he watched his captive drink. He turned to his older brother.

"It is very thirsty."

"And very large," Kretin added. "I will wager it gets hungry as well, and from the size of it, it has a large appetite. Let us go, we are almost home."

They wound their way through the branches occasionally dropping to the ground to take a short cut. It was cool on the forest floor and the spongy forest carpet was easier on the feet. Along the way, they saw more animals, but they were all shy and ran away. Twice, Arai led Kathleen around holes in the ground that were large enough to fall into. He pointed at them with his spear and motioned for Kathleen to step carefully around the edges.

Kathleen wondered what sort of creature made the holes.

Just when she thought she couldn't take another step, the forest opened up to expose a jumbled cliff of rocks. Shouts and voices came from above. Kathleen looked up and saw a handful of furry faces staring wide-eyed down at her. None seemed threatening. Rather, they appeared to be amazed and not a little curious.

Kretin made her climb the rocks up to the first outcropping. Once she stepped upon the flat ledge, she saw that it stretched back to reveal a hidden cave situated away from weather. Standing around the ledge and in the mouth of the cave, more of the natives stood and ogled the young Earth woman.

Kathleen was frightened, but far from terrified. She towered over all of them and, at first, they kept their distance. An old female approached and rattled off something in an incomprehensible tongue. When Kathleen failed to answer, the old lady turned to Kretin.

"Is it without hearing? Can it not speak?"

"No, mother. It speaks, but in a strange tongue. Likewise, it does not understand us."

The old female turned back to Kathleen and felt the young woman's arms. "It is big and strong. Where did it get these clothes? What kind of skins are they made from?"

Kretin shrugged.

Now the other women circled around Kathleen. They marveled over Kathleen's silky hair and the lack of it on her face and hands. One woman looked behind Kathleen and clicked in confusion.

"Where is its tail?"

This observation brought laughter and disbelief from the smaller children who shyly edged out from the mouth of the cave.

The old woman again turned to Kretin. "Is it male or female?"

Kretin shrugged.

The old woman approached Kathleen and placed paws or hands, Kathleen couldn't decide which, on Kathleen's chest. "Ah," the old woman remarked, "it is a female."

Grandfather had said nothing. He sat on a rock and watched as the others crowded around Kathleen and felt her clothes, her hair, her skin. Upon hearing that the creature was female, he commented to Kretin that they now had another mouth to feed.

Arai overheard. "She may be a hunter, Grandfather. She killed one of the night creatures and saved me from certain death."

The old man's tail jerked. "Ah, well, that's something else. Perhaps she can earn her way. We must decide soon. A creature her size will eat much -- that means less for the rest of us if she cannot find food by herself."

"Should she not be allowed to choose between the forest and the tribe, Grandfather?"

The old one rubbed the boy's furry head with his bent and battered tail. "Yes, she will get the opportunity through the proper ritual, but first we must prepare. You and your brother have been far and have accomplished great things. I am proud of you both."

He looked at the darkening sky. "I think that first, you must rest. The captive female needs rest as well. If she is not dangerous, then untie her, give her food and drink. Tomorrow we will discuss the ritual."

The old man rose from his seat and walked to Kathleen's side. She looked at the old man.

"She has no manners," he said. "She has much to learn, perhaps too much." At that, he turned and walked into the cave, leaving the others to amuse themselves with the hairless female.

After untying her, they took her inside and showed her where to rest. She sat down heavily, grateful for the chance to rest. Under the amazed stares of the watching natives, she removed her shoes and looked at her feet. Both had numerous blisters. One of the women brought a bowl of water.

Kathleen thanked her and washed her feet with the water. Another one brought food. She looked at the offered fruit with doubt. She could eat and risk contracting a fatal microbe, or she could starve to death. It was as simple as that. She gingerly took a bite. The fruit was sweet and juicy. It looked like a small melon with a hard shell and tasted something like cantaloupe. Maybe it was just because she was so hungry, or maybe it was because she was just too tired to care. Whichever it was, she ate the fruit and finished it off with a long drink of water. Her stomach accepted the offering and after five minutes, she knew she wasn't going to die.

Arai situated himself beside Kathleen and watched her eat. She was so strange. Her hair was the color of the sun and her eyes and nose were so small compared to the Bedorans'. Arai wondered how she could see and smell from such small organs. Her hands and feet were large but delicate. She moved with grace and, Arai noted with not a little embarrassment, somehow her strange features were attractive. The one truly alarming thing about her was that she had no tail. Perhaps it had been amputated in an accident, Arai thought.

The small children ran unrestrained through the confines of the cave. They climbed rocks, tumbled down, chased one another, and peeked at the newcomer. They stared wide-eyed and, becoming bolder, they inched closer. Using their long tails, they reached out and stroked the hair on Kathleen's head and felt the strange cloth she wore. One tyke, no larger than a human one-year-old, and knowing no better, finally climbed into Kathleen's lap and promptly went to sleep.

Kathleen wrapped her arms around the child and soon was fast asleep herself. The adults nodded to one another with satisfaction.

"The little ones like her," one woman commented to another.

"Yes, but we must make certain she does not eat them during the night."

Outside, Kretin watched the night sky. Arai joined him. "Seen any of the strange lights?"

"Not yet, but I am afraid they are still out there. I can feel them." He sniffed the air. "Do you not smell an odd scent?"

Arai raised his nose. "Yes, there is something, but it is far away."

"Not far enough if we can smell it." Kretin picked up the spear that lay at his feet and began to sharpen the tip against a rock.

"Do we hunt tomorrow?"

"No. Tomorrow Grandfather will ask that the ritual be performed for the thing we found."

"Why do you call it a 'thing'?"

"What would you have me call it?"

"Well, mother said it is female."

"But it is not Bedoran."

"Perhaps we can give it a Bedoran name."

"That will be decided tomorrow. It must prove its worth first."

Arai reluctantly agreed. He understood that life in the forest was good because the Bedoran people had strict rules. Before those who had killed his father came, there was no threat to which the Bedoran people were not accustomed and could not overcome. They had been the undisputed rulers of the land. Now, they had to walk carefully at certain times of the year. Many had become lost in the forests. Sometimes their bodies were found, horribly mutilated by something other than the creatures that lived among the trees. If the strange female was to remain with the tribe, she had to prove she would be an asset. There was no room for those who would not or could not manage for themselves.

Kretin pointed to one of the stars in the sky. "That was not there yesterday."

Arai followed his older brother's pointing finger. He didn't know the

stars as well as Kretin, but he could easily make out the new point of light. It was larger than the others and was nearly directly overhead.

"What is it?"

"I have no idea," answered Kretin, "but it is always a good idea to keep one's spear sharpened."

It was an old Bedoran saying and it was good, practical advice. Arai began sharpening the point of his own spear. The boys' Grandfather joined them on the rocky ledge. At once, the old man saw the new star in the sky.

"Not a good sign," he said. He turned to Kretin and asked if the young man still had the magic crystal.

"Yes, Grandfather." Kretin took the small leather pouch from his belt and tried to hand it to the old man.

The old man refused to take it. "Keep it. It is something a young warrior should have. Guard it well, it may save your life one day."

Kretin replaced the pouch and faced his grandfather. "Did we do right in bringing the female animal back with us?"

The old man looked at the sky. "Only time will tell, son. Only time will tell."

In the cave, Kathleen slept soundly. All the small children had crowded around her and were also fast asleep.

*

Unknown to Kretin, Arai, or the old man, and possibly beyond their understanding, the light in the sky was a spacecraft that held others similar to the one they had captured. Aboard the Magellan, Blane was wrestled to the floor of his cabin and given a large dose of tranquilizers. In his fear of being unplugged from his devices, he had inadequately soldered two of the terminal leads to input jacks on the back of his head. In the struggle, they were both knocked loose. Blane screamed and struck out, knocking Doris against the side of the head.

She reacted by rolling with the blow and grabbing Blane by both arms. Bonner wrapped his arms around Blane's legs and effectively pinned him against the bulkhead. That was when Parker stepped in and gave Blane the shot.

"That'll hold him," said Parker. "I gave him a bigger dose this time."

"How long?" Doris asked.

The doctor shrugged. "Can't say for sure. I thought the last dose would put him to sleep."

"Well, we've got to control him. In the state he's in, he's a danger to all of us. Got any ideas?"

Parker looked thoughtful. "Maybe. Give me a minute, I'll get something from the lab." He left the compartment. By the time he returned, Doris and Bonner had re-situated Blane onto his bunk.

"Let's pull him up into a sitting position and I'll slip him into this." Parker held up a canvas and leather straitjacket.

"Where'd you get that?"

"Standard Corporation medical issue," replied Parker.

"No shit?"

They fit Blane into the jacket and set him back on the bed. Bonner straightened up. "Well," he said, brushing off his hands, "I guess that's it. Let me know if you need more help."

"Thanks, Bill," Said Doris. Turning back to Parker, she asked him to check in on Blane every so often to make sure he wasn't awake.

"Oh, he's awake now. He's just anesthetized. As long as he's got hook-ups to his devices, part of his mind is conscious."

Doris pursed her lips and thought. With a decisive motion, she leaned across the prone wirehead and pulled out the wire leads. "I want him out."

A spasm passed through Blane's body and, for a moment, his eyes flickered open. It startled both Doris and the doctor. Blane again lay still.

"Is he all right?" Doris asked.

Parker looked into Blane's eyes and felt his pulse. "Mild shock. That's all. Nothing to worry about. Probably the best thing for him."

*

It took the computers something less than the twenty minutes Nadine estimated. They were in luck. All the databases were intact. Blane had only diverted the processor power, he hadn't done any damage. The sensor systems went through their initializations and in moments the sight of the alien spaceship once again filled the monitors.

"Recorders on," ordered Fagen.

"Already rollin'," replied Nadine.

Bonner floated back onto the bridge. He sat at his station next to Nadine, clapped his hands and rubbed his palms together. Leaning forward, he read his displays. "Status quo here. Everything looks good."

For a long minute, they all stared at the alien craft as if to make sure what they had seen before was not an illusion. Nothing had changed. It was still there, some thousand odd meters away.