Storm World Ch. 02

First and foremost let me say thank you all very much for the extraordinarily warm welcome I got in the comments of chapter one. To say the least, it is very humbling to read how much you all enjoyed my first story and how much you have been anticipating this new one. I confess, it is also a little daunting and I hope my efforts will rise to your expectations. Thank you one and all.

Next, I had a few people wanting me to refresh their memories on the breeds of the jZav'Etch. One suggestion was that I should put a sort of guide in my profile, but given the limited space and the fact that I would overwrite it when I update story status I found it more practical to open a forum thread where you can all read the details and ask other questions. I cannot promise to answer every question, though, as certain answers might reveal plot points better left secret until they come up in the story. The thread can be found in the Literotica Discussion Board > Main Literotica Forums > Authors Hangout under the heading 'The Savage Shore Universe'. At least, if I did everything correctly it can be.

So here is chapter 2 in which we get to know a little more about Benjamin and the survivors he rescued.

*****

Storm World

Chapter 2

Between the lightning, the polarizing of her visor and the enhancements from her HUD, M'peth qHo made out the shore as they approached. Dense foliage ran from high hills inland right out into the ocean. There was no true beach to be seen and she wondered if the island was actually submerged with only the forest and hills above the waves. After a short time the raft crossed into somewhat calmer waters.

"Just passed over the reef," the Human shouted over the storm with a wide grin. "Water's not so fucked up here. Waves are still bad, but nothing like out there. You folks should have stayed in the air a little longer. You could have dropped in here and waded to shore, maybe. We landed on the other side of the point over there, but Dr. Troi wanted to move the ship inland to get it away from the water. Dumb bitch! I warned you! You fucking cunt! Didn't think the lava would reach the ship, did you? Said we shouldn't worry. Fucking stupid cunt! Wouldn't listen to me!"

The Human continued this violent verbal abuse of the absent doctor the rest of the way in to shore. Finally he subsided as he guided the raft between a pair of large trees. A narrow channel flanked by gnarled roots led deeper into the undergrowth and the darkness became complete except for a few luminous patches scattered here and there and the flashes of lightning that filtered through the canopy. It was by these luminous patches the Human seemed to guide the raft.

"I planted those myself," he said, pointing to one. "Even when the suns come up the overcast makes it tough to navigate. Those make it easier. Use that stuff in the cave, too. It's some kind of moss. Have to keep it wet or it dies. Chemlights ran out... Um... Well, they ran out a while ago. Supposed to last two years. Damn! I've been here tooooo fucking long."

"Does he never stop speaking?" wondered Liat 'del Qha, her voice agitated and strained.

"Do you understand him?" M'peth qHo asked, looking closely at the pilot, though, she could see little through the Pah'Tht's dark visor.

"I am not fluent, Commander, but I think I follow most of it," Liat 'del Qha said. "Is he sane, do you think?"

"It sounds as if he has been here for a long time. I doubt any sentient being would sound sane if left alone for too long," the commander said. "How are the wounded?"

The Pah'Tht eased carefully across the pitching raft to crouch next to the commander. She leaned in until her helmet touched M'peth qHo's and said, "Switch off the net."

Her voice was oddly modulated coming through the layers of insulation, padding and armor, but her words were understandable. M'peth qHo deactivated her audio transceiver and looked at the pilot through their faceplates. Even this close it was difficult to see her.

"Tem l'eth tong's leg wound is serious and she has lost much blood, but I do not think it will be fatal," Liat 'del Qha said. "I gave her a sedative, an injection of antibiotics and another for pain. Ty'em P'tral has a broken shoulder and some fractured ribs. Serious, but not life threatening. I stabilized her arm and gave her an injection for the pain and swelling. We will need to get her somewhere we can remove her suit to attend to her injuries fully."

"Can she walk?" M'peth qHo asked.

"If she must, but we should not allow her to go very far," Liat 'del Qha said. "Es'tl Mei qHa is in very bad condition. I have given him enough sedative and pain reliever to keep him quiet. I do not believe he will survive."

"I did not want to hear that," said M'peth qHo earnestly. "At any rate, well done, First Officer. Tell me, who are the other two?"

"The tall one is Ima' Nef'Tn. A dTel'Qohar," said the pilot. "She is a weapons technician. The other is TaH 'Kiy mTh. He is a Thahn 'Den. An engineer assigned to the forward missile bay. I do not know either of them well."

"I believe that is likely to change," M'peth qHo said with an ironic twitch of her whiskers. Then she looked through their rain streaked faceplates into the young Pah'Tht's eyes. "How are you, yourself?"

"I am uninjured, Commander," the pilot replied.

"I am sorry your friend was lost," M'peth qHo said sincerely if a little awkwardly. "She impressed me as very capable in her duties on the bridge. And she saved my life."

"She was a good friend, Commander," Liat 'del Qha said softly and withdrew, breaking contact between their helmets, effectively ending the conversation.

The Human, continuing his seemingly endless, rambling discourse, guided the raft unfailingly through the sodden, rain dripping and wind lashed forest. The channel he followed twisted and turned back and forth around massively thick trees. Vines hung down and leafy plants sprouted from beneath the water. Rain rattled on the leaves and drummed on the helmets of the jZav'Etch. M'peth qHo, thinking it might be useful, set her suit's sensors to record this route in case they needed to retrace it to the sea. She could not foresee a situation that would lead to them abandoning this Human, at least not in the near future, but she had not foreseen them crashing on this planet in the first place.

As they traveled up the channel the jZav'Etch settled into something like a resigned exhaustion. All were feeling the aftereffects of their ordeal. As her stress and adrenaline levels dropped M'peth qHo gradually became aware of the injuries she had suffered. Her neck and back ached terribly. So bad, in fact, she took out her medical kit and plugged it into her suit. The diagnostic protocol scrolled across her HUD and gave a treatment recommendation. Not wanting such a strong dose, she dialed it down before confirming it and felt the prickling sensation of a hypo spray between her breasts. Her pain began to ease instantly and she sighed with relief.

"Here we are, folks!" the Human called lustily. "Home again. Almost home, anyway."

The jZav'Etch roused themselves to have a look at what he was talking about. Ahead, illuminated by several large patches of the glowing moss, they saw some sort of platform floating on the water. It was tethered between the roots of one of the large trees and upon the platform were bundles of reeds like those that made up the raft. M'peth qHo looked questioningly at the Human and he grinned down on her.

"My dock," he explained. "I made it so I could build my ship. Lots of work still to do, but it floats. Good thing for you I got started. My canoe would never have held all of you."

He gave another powerful stroke on his oar and then stepped nimbly to the tapered prow of the raft. A quick flick of his wrist sent a thin line over a knob of root and he used it to haul the raft the rest of the way to the dock.

"All ashore who're going ashore," he called merrily over the drumming rain before picking up two long wooden rods and a sack of some sort. With surprising grace he then leapt up onto the dock.

"What do we do, Commander?" asked Liat 'del Qha.

"We follow the Human," Chep 'Urt vEss said before M'peth qHo could reply. He stood and picked up Tem l'eth tong, cradling her in his arms as he jumped easily to the dock's surface.

Liat 'del Qha looked to M'peth qHo for confirmation. The gunner had been out of line in speaking for the commander who outranked him considerably, but he was a male and a line officer while M'peth qHo was a female and a mere support services officer. This sort of insubordination and disrespect was common among young males who had yet to learn their proper place in the grand scheme of the Hegemony.

"Help me with Es'tl Mei qHa," M'peth qHo said.

The two of them tried to be careful with the critically injured weapons technician. They did their best not to jar his broken pelvis, but a sharp grunt from the sedated dTel'Qohar told them they had not been careful enough. Chep 'Urt vEss helped slide him onto the dock and settled him near one of the bundles of reeds so he would not roll off into the water. It took another couple of Taq'a* to get Ty'em P'tral with her wounded shoulder and the packs onto the dock. The Human helped the remaining females up one at a time, grinning all the while. His strong hands took hold of theirs and up they went as though they weighed nothing at all.

"Come on, youngster," he said when it was Liat 'del Qha's turn. "Let old Uncle Ben lift you up. I won't drop you."

The small Pah'Tht shot a look of alarm at M'peth qHo when the Human seized her under the arms and lifted her clear of the raft. But all was well. He set her on her feet and even gave her a friendly pat on the rump to send her on her way. M'peth qHo was the last off and she was greatly impressed with the Human's strength. He picked her up with virtually no effort at all.

"Thank you," she said a little breathlessly in English.

"You're welcome, miss," he said. "Now all we have to do is get you up to the cave. Grace never liked the climb. She always complained, but it was the safest place we found. And we could make a fire there without attracting the big meat-eaters. I mean, we tried down in the lowland valley, but it flooded so we had to go to high ground. She still complained, though. Poor girl. She's up on top of the cliff with the others now. No need for her to climb anymore. Maybe she'd like that. You think she'd like that? I hope so."

"I..." M'peth qHo began to answer, but the Human rattled on overtop of her.

"Best if I get on with it," he said. "Give me a minute or three and I'll see about rigging something up. Shouldn't be too tough. Back in a jiffy!"

"Does he abandon us?" asked Ima' Nef'Tn.

"Are you certain it is a he?" asked Chep 'Urt vEss, staring after the Human who quickly disappeared in the underbrush.

"Could you not see his penis?" Tem l'eth tong demanded with a drug slurred laugh.

The gunner scowled down on her and snapped, "I have not studied Human anatomy!"

"Neither have I," replied the wounded Tem l'eth tong merrily. "I've seen a few penises, though."

"Enough!" snapped M'peth qHo in her most authoritative tone, the gunner's disrespect on top of her stress and pain had made her irritable. She stood in a posture of dominance, leaning slightly forward, knees bent and arms flexed with her palms up, fingers crooked as if she would unsheathe her claws. All of this would have been more impressive had she not been wearing her environment suit for then the other jZav'Etch would have seen her tail lash and her hands would not be concealed in gauntlets. Her posture was sufficient, however, to make even the rebellious Chep 'Urt vEss go silent. She continued in a hard tone, "We need to prepare the wounded for transport. The Human said he has a cave we must climb to. Break out stretchers and secure the wounded. If you are unarmed, take weapons from the packs. Do it now!"

Without further delay the survivors followed her orders. Stretchers from the packs were unfolded and the injured strapped securely to them. Pistols were distributed to each crewmember including the two wounded still alert enough to use them. When all was as ready as could be M'peth qHo spread them out to keep watch on the flooded forest. In the pouring rain of an alien planet they waited, vigilant and silent.

After what seemed too long a time the Human reappeared. He strode lightly over the uneven roots and smiled when he stepped onto the floating dock.

"I think I've got things rigged," he said. "Be careful going over these roots. Dr. Reese twisted his ankle something fierce and it took a week before he could get around again. And then he got eaten. Too bad, really. He was our biologist. This place fascinated him. Always tried getting as close to the damned animals as he could. I warned him I don't know how many times, but he said he could handle it. Maybe he didn't mind getting eaten."

"You said there is a climb to get to your cave," M'peth qHo said before Benjamin could go off on another rambling tangent. "How are we to get the injured up to it?"

"Ropes," Benjamin said simply. "I'll show you. We better hurry. Storm will be picking up pretty soon. Won't be able to see your hand in front of your face out here. Come on."

"We stay close together," M'peth qHo said over the com net. "The Human has mentioned large predators. Keep alert. TaH 'Kiy mTh, Chep 'Urt vEss, carry Es'tl Mei qHa. Ima' Nef'Tn, help me carry Tem l'eth tong. Liat 'del Qha, assist Ty'em P'tral as best you can. The two of you will bring up the rear. Everyone, keep your sensors on maximum gain. I do not wish to be taken off our guard."

"The sensors in our suits are of very limited value here, Commander," said Liat 'del Qha.

"She is correct, Commander," added Ima' Nef'Tn. "They are meant for use aboard ship, not this jungle."

M'peth qHo gritted her teeth in frustration. She should have remembered that. The crew's suits would be designed to make use of the ship's internal sensors to keep them updated and aware of their surroundings while aboard. Here they would be reduced to very rudimentary sensors and a variety of filters for their visors.

"My order stands," she finally said. "Whatever warning your suits might be able to provide could be the difference between life and death for all of us. And I will keep my sensors on maximum gain. My suit is general duty and can provide more data."

With that settled Benjamin led them over the uneven path of roots and mats of sodden dead vegetation until they came to a spur of flat stone. This ran through the undergrowth for a good distance until it met the base of a smooth stone cliff.

"You wish us to scale that?" demanded M'peth qHo incredulously.

"Oh hell no," Benjamin laughed. "This way."

He turned his steps along the face of the cliff to a place where a large, gnarled tree grew hard by the stone. Thick, leafy vines had spread from the branches to the face of the cliff and he held these away, allowing the survivors to pass through into a spot lit by more of the glowing moss. Here the wind hardly reached them and they were well shielded from the rain. It was a kind of grotto between the slab of stone that made up the cliff face and another larger slab, presumably the rest of the hill. Hanging from above were two thick lines of tightly twisted, natural fiber rope.

"This is how I get my stuff down to the dock. Made these myself. Gets boring when the storms blow for a week or two," Benjamin said, going to the ropes. From the ground he took a set of straps with clasp hooks at the ends. This he attached to one of the ropes and waved the jZav'Etch to him. "One of you needs to come up top with me. Can't do it all by myself."

"I will go with him, Commander," said Liat 'del Qha.

"Go with him?" demanded Chep 'Urt vEss, who spoke no English and had not understood Benjamin's words. "We cannot trust a Human! I will go. If he betrays us, I will kill him."

"You will mind your place," M'peth qHo said sternly. "This is not a battle. We are not in combat. I am in command. I will go with the Human. If he betrays us, which I do not believe he will do, I will execute him myself. Now, attach one of the stretchers to the rope and wait for my signal. Remain alert."

With that, she turned to follow Benjamin up the cliff. He moved easily from one hand hold to another. His fingers and toes seemed to know where to go without his conscious thought. M'peth qHo found it fairly easy to follow him, though, she would have preferred to make the climb without her boots. jZav'Etch claws were better than even the best traction soles the engineers had come up with. She would have liked to discard her environment suit altogether, but that would be imprudent until they were under some kind of shelter.

At the top of the climb Benjamin pulled her onto a ledge of rock that sloped slightly out, but was broad and fairly smooth. More of the glowing moss illuminated the area, showing her a wide split in the hill down which she could see more of the moss glowing dimly.

"This is my windlass," Benjamin said, calling her attention to a framework of thick timbers with ropes hanging down. He took hold of one of the ropes and grinned at her.

"I need a moment," she panted and took out her medical kit once again. Another dose of pain reliever allowed her to breathe more comfortably. She inhaled deeply and sighed with no small amount of pleasure. "Very well. What do you wish me to do?"

"I'll haul on this rope," he said, tugging on the line in his hand. "When the stretcher gets to the top, you use that pole and pull it onto the ledge and we send the rope back down for the next one. I can move a lot of weight with this thing. Pegged it together. The last one I made by tying the timbers, but it wore out pretty quick. Pegging makes it stronger. More work, but it lasts and holds more weight."

"I will tell them we are ready," M'peth qHo said and called over the net to confirm the stretcher was secured. "You must also assemble another stretcher for Ty'em P'tral. With her shoulder injury, she will be unable to make the climb." She looked to Benjamin and said, "You may begin."

Bracing himself against the strain the leanly powerful Human hauled on the rope. It was reeved around a pair of smooth wooden cylinders that rolled in closed slots, making Benjamin's task easier, though a good deal of strength was still necessary.

M'peth qHo found herself impressed again by his sheer masculine power. Her eyes wandered over the Human's naked frame, admiring his muscles and noting many small scars. An unconscious purr startled her back to the present. What had she been thinking?! Feeling a little flustered she turned her attention to the rising stretcher. It was nearly to the ledge and she hurried to get into position to pull it in with the pole which had a hook on one end. A taq'a later they had Es'tl Mei qHa safely on the ledge and Benjamin was lowering the rope to bring up Tem l'eth tong.

In short order they had all three wounded jZav'Etch on the ledge. A flash of white teeth behind the dark visor of the wounded Thahn 'Den's helmet caught the commander's eye and she asked, "Why do you grin?"

"He is something to look at, is he not, Commander?" the injured Ty'em P'tral said, and her whiskers flicked forward against the inside of her visor in a uniquely Thahn 'Den gesture indicating mischief. "I have not seen a naked male for a very long time."