Viper's Hope (Anguis Defenders Book 1) (19 page)

"Well my filius, I'm going to get your mother settled in town and then we'll return for dinner." Adder nodded to Viper as he led Hyla out.

"Let's go see how you like out pod." Viper led Hope through the recreation building towards the opposite side.

Hope glanced through a set of doors and smiled as she noticed Tara and JP touring the clinic, both of them chattering happily. She was glad her friends had this to occupy their minds. It kept all of them from dwelling on their loss.

Viper walked past a few pods then stopped in front of a little pale blue one.

"It reminded me of your eyes." Viper smiled at her.

Hope glanced at the symbol by the door, it was three wavy lines. She lived in the blue house with three wavy lines near the community center. That was easy enough.

"Your friends and family can stay next door."

"Thank you."

Hope walked in and noted it wasn't much different from the others but someone had already put up their pictures from the ship and brought their belongings in.

"It's not much." Viper said as he pulled her into his arms.

"No it's great." She smiled.

"I need to get up to speed and check in with security. Do you want to settle in here or join me?"

"I might go find Tara and JP, or whoever you think can help me with getting everyone organized once we start waking folks up."

"Sounds good."

12 Superstar

Hope

Hope spent the next several days getting to know the Anguis that worked in the colony and preparing for the challenging task ahead. Then the slow process of reviving her fellow humans commenced, in groups of several dozen at a time. Everyone was finally awake and had been divided into three categories, disturbed, panic stricken, and freaking the fuck out. Tara gave the stages a clinical name, but that pretty much summed it up.

That later category exhibited itself in one of two ways either the person attempted to run screaming into the night or sat catatonic. This made getting their name and vital information for the database Hope created a little difficult.

Hope spent the first week after revival helping families and friends find one another and transition into the temporary housing or rearranging to live with each other. There were many public meetings where Hope, Tara, and JP spoke to large groups about what happened on Earth. Hope retold her story about the meteor strike till she was blue in the face. But she felt it was important, she didn't want her fellow humans freaking out that this was some insane plot against humanity, spouting nonsense like they'd all end up in a cooking pot or something. Hope sheepishly had to admit that had been a fear of hers in the beginning.

The native Anguis led excursions into the city nearby or out into the wild landscape showing and teaching the humans anything from the basics of the public transportation system and the market, to what animals were benign or dangerous. They attempted to give them a crash course in all the things they would need to survive though most of it could've probably been explained by an Anguis kindergartner. Hope laughed at the thought when one Anguis was doing a lesson with various foods. This fruit is edible, but it looks like this one that you might find in the wild which is poisonous.

"Note to self no eating wild plums, or anything in the wild."

It wasn't a hard concept. Hope never went out picking wild berries and chowing down back home.

The Anguis were kind, hospitable and very patient. Hope was glad that a large number of people were sane enough to be able to go on the field trips and attend the lessons. Sadly poor Tara and JP were stuck much of the time assisting the head cases. Hope didn't get out of the pod city herself, but at least she wasn't surrounded constantly by the morose or violently frightened individuals that couldn't come to terms with what had happened.

Hope was so grateful Viper realized she wouldn't feel right not staying with the others and had their dwelling set up near the communal building and infirmary. Hope thought he'd perhaps made the excuse that he needed to be there to help, so his mother didn't completely hate her, but he did work a lot. He spent much of his day organizing further housing, supplies and security. He was basically the governor of their small city.

Hope found herself looking forward to their meal breaks and their evenings together as they fell into a comfortable rhythm.

The only thing she didn't like was how the Anguis also had entertainment media. They seemed to follow one or both of them everywhere. Hope more than once had avoided going outside since they weren't allowed in any of the buildings. Viper wanted to toss them out of the camp, but that would only make it worse. Paparazzi were the same everywhere, a damn nuisance.

"So you are going shopping with the group today?" Viper asked as he reviewed his tablet sitting on the sofa in their pod's living room.

Hope snapped out of her reverie.

"Yeah, I didn't get a chance to when they went last time." Hope replied as she pulled on a pair of sandals then paused.

It dawned on Hope that this would be the first time she and Viper would be separated by more than a short walk in the weeks since they'd met. As much as Hope wanted to go into town she was suddenly not so interested anymore.

Hope looked over at Viper as she finished buckling her shoe. She tried to catalog the intense emotion that had been growing and smoldering inside her. It was different from anything she'd been willing to admit to herself thus far. Sure she felt lust and an easy affection for Viper, and he made her feel safe not only physically but deep down. This was more than that.

The realization scared her.

Viper always looked at her with adoration and desire, but in the back of her mind Hope worried that all Viper's affection was hormone induced, and one day he'd wake up and she'd have been nothing but a phase. In the beginning it hadn't bothered her that much. However now it intruded on her thoughts more and more. If that was the case it would devastate her because help it or not Hope had seriously fallen for the man. And the longer she knew him the harder it became to guard her heart.

Hope shook her head trying to reconcile the things she felt.

"One day at a time." She coached herself.

No sense in worrying and jinxing everything. She just needed to let the pieces fall where they would. If she tried to hold on to too tight, she'd just strangle the life out of whatever they were building.

Viper stood and handed Hope a small thing that looked like a smart phone.

"This is how you can contact me, and it gives you access to credits to use with the vendors." Hope tried to pay attention to Viper as he showed her the various features on the comm. Hope found herself mostly staring at his green eyes and the way his mouth moved, rather than the words he said.

"What?" Viper said as he noticed her expression.

"Nothing." Hope wrapped her arms around him and snuggled into his chest. "Thank you. I was just planning to look."

"Try to find a scarf for your head. Your little nose and cheeks are still red from staying out in the sun too much yesterday." Viper suggested sniffing her hair as he squeezed her to him.

So caring and thoughtful.

"That's probably a good idea."

"Sorry I can't go with you." Viper tipped her chin up and frowned.

He had a meeting with his father and some public relations' adviser. Hope was sure it was going to be dull and frustrating as they discussed the prejudiced group they called the Purists.

"No worries." Hope stood up on her tip-toes to give him a kiss.

Viper lowered his mouth to hers. Hope poured all of herself into that kiss. She wasn't ready yet to admit out loud what she felt for him, but somehow she wanted him to know. Viper tasted delicious and spicy that drugging chemical expression of his desire for her. It was distracting how it warmed her to the core.

"Take your dagger." Viper grunted when he reluctantly pulled back.

"Oh yeah. "

Hope jogged back to the bedroom, put it on, then headed for the door. She blew Viper a kiss then took off to catch the shuttle.

Wouldn't you know, there was Ophidian.

"I should've known Viper would send extra security." Hope smiled to herself.

"Oh yay! You did take today off.!" Hope squealed at seeing Tara.

Her girlfriend practically had to be beat with a stick to take a break every now and then.

"I wanted to see the market and have some girl time." Tara said excitedly.

"Where's JP?"

"He went last time, so he decided to stay at camp and work at the infirmary."

"Hello Ophidian." Hope said.

"Greetings Uxorem Hope, Tara."

"Hi" Tara said as she smiled shyly at Ophidian.

Tara gave him a subtle look that made Hope think she was checking him out. Tara turned to get on the shuttle and Hope was pretty sure Ophidian checked out her ass.

"Well, well, well what was going on between those two?" Hope wondered.

She would have to remember to grill Tara about it later. They took their seats with Ophidian across the aisle.

"So O, did Viper put you up to guarding us?"

"You are my Uxorem and Viper is not only my Prognatus but also my brother. It is an honor to make sure you are safe."

"Well thank you." Hope said as they watched the scenery start to pass.

"I was thinking of getting a dress." Tara mused. "And maybe a cool trinket to decorate our pod."

"Oh that's a good idea. I'm supposed to get something to keep from burning, like a scarf."

"You did get a bit of sun yesterday." Tara looked at her assessingly, always the doctor.

"Yeah well you tan so well it's disgusting. You look like a goddess of the Mediterranean." Hope scowled at her girlfriend.

"Whatever!"

The shuttle ran on its own course like a monorail, minus the tracks, arriving at their destination in no time. As it stopped at the station, they were immediately inundated by the numerous colorful stalls filled with wares. It reminded Hope of a street bazaar. The large group of human refugees that had accompanied them broke up into smaller ones and dispersed among the different booths. Tara, Ophidian and Hope started down one side of the street. The buildings were made of red, yellow or orange colored stone rising up several stories, though none were taller than five floors. The windows trended towards round, and the glass was thick.

"We occasionally get sand storms in the dry season, so the thick glass repels flying debris." Ophidian noted Hope's curious stare.

There were booths in front of larger stores or the vendors home. Colorful tents and awnings shaded shoppers as they went from one boutique to the next. Hope looked through a stall filled with jewelry. The old couple running it were cute. They whispered to each other as they looked at the trio. Like most of the Anguis they were curious and welcoming to the humans. The elderly man got up, came forward and bowed his head.

"Welcome." He greeted them.

"Thank you. I love what you have here."

Hope's attention was captured by a long tooth hanging from a gold chain and debated getting it for Viper.

"Is it a gift if you're using the person's own money to buy it for them?" She wondered.

Then again she'd be helping to support the cute old couple.

"Tell me about this charm." She asked the old man.

"It is the canine of an extinct wild feline. It's very old." The gray haired man replied as he pulled it out of the velvet-lined box.

"What do you think O. Would Viper like it?"

"I am sure that he would Uxorem."

The moment Ophidian said her title the old man's eyes widened, and he bowed deeply making Hope worry he'd fall over.

"My apologies Uxorem, I did not know." The man said and his wife followed suit. "You wish to get this for the Prognatus? Please just take it." He said with a bright smile, the creases around his eyes deepening.

"I couldn't just take it. You are here to make a living, so please name your price." Hope insisted slightly embarrassed by the situation. "Please."

"Sixty four credits." He replied pressing the necklace encouragingly into her hand.

Hope looked at Ophidian unsure if they were trying to charge her too little because they were being nice. Ophidian nodded it was okay, so she handed the little old man Viper's comm-unit to transfer the money.

"Oh that's nice." Tara examined the necklace. "Viper gave you a sweet comm-unit too."

"I wish you well." Hope said with a bow to the couple as they left and continued on their way. "Yeah Viper wanted me to be able to get ahold of him."

Word traveled fast that the new Uxorem was out in the city and a crowd started to build. The three of them traveled down one street but the market ended. At the far end of the district was a crowd of Anguis being held back by guards. Hope couldn't hear what they said as they shouted.

Instead of attempting to move through the crowd Ophidian led Hope and Tara back through a small park where families and Anguis children played. Hope liked how the Anguis included a lot of green space in and amongst their buildings. No one appeared to have a yard in the city, but there was a public garden between every row of buildings.

A little girl ran up to them and held out a little flower for both Hope and Tara.

"Thank you." Hope smiled at her grinning cherubic face.

The child handed off her gift then ran back to the jungle gym and started to monkey up it. Her parents smiled kindly and Hope nodded in greeting.

The children were small, pudgy, charming versions of the adults. Much like human children they were little balls of excitement. The children were so happy and boisterous, not nearly as reserved as the adults. Even their skin color undulated in excitement as they played. It was funny how similar children all over the universe were. Carefree and awesome.

The playground had numerous interesting panels decorated with wild colors and patterns. The tots would run up to them and mimic the outlandish pattern with their amazing ability to change colors. They took great delight in it, like a game of hide and seek.

Hope giggled as they scampered about.

"Too cute." Tara grinned.

"They will learn to control themselves better as they grow." Ophidian commented.

Hope decided that was probably the reason for the funny colored playground panels, to help teach that skill. Viper was certainly a master of disguise.

"Viper and I played a similar game in the arboretum on the ship." Hope smiled as she remembered how beautiful the garden had looked.