Storm World Ch. 02

M'peth qHo snorted out a little laugh at Ty'em P'tral's boldness.

"He is not bad to look upon," she agreed and glanced at Benjamin who stood waiting patiently with his seemingly ever present grin.

"I like his mane," Tem l'eth tong said, propping herself up on an elbow to look at the Human more directly. "I did not know Humans could grow such manes. Are all of their males so well endowed?"

M'peth qHo looked at her and blinked in astonishment. She thought it had to be the drugs in their systems that made these two speak so. Certain pain suppressors were known to lower the inhibitions of jZav'Etch and clearly these two were showing the effects.

"He is not overly long," said Ty'em P'tral, looking frankly at Benjamin.

"When aroused, supposedly, they become much longer," Tem l'eth tong said. "Much thicker, too."

"That is enough for now," M'peth qHo said, cutting them off before they could get carried away. She was feeling flustered and did not know what to make of her own reaction to the Human. "We must see to bringing the others up. Stay where you are until we return."

"Hey, Miss, why don't you tell the others to tie your packs to the rope?" Benjamin said as she got to her feet. "I can haul them up while you go down and show them where to climb."

M'peth qHo hesitated. Thus far she had risked only herself alone with the Human and she was not certain the three wounded would necessarily be safe. Also, if they tied their packs to the rope he would have complete control over their supplies and might try to use them as leverage in some way. That thought did not sit well with her. On the other hand Ty'em P'tral and Tem l'eth tong were both armed and even on the pain medication they were aware enough to defend themselves from a lone, unarmed Human. She considered Benjamin for a few heartbeats, deciding that he was not a danger at present. He might be mad, but he had saved their lives. She gave him a nod of assent and called over the net instructing the other survivors to lash the packs to the end of the rope and to wait for her.

It took only a short time to get everyone to the shelter of the ledge and when she came close she found the two females laughing. She had to assume they had been exchanging comments about Benjamin who stood near the entrance to the cave with a puzzled expression.

"I don't know what's gotten into them," he said, indicating the pair of females with a wave of his hand. "Started chattering as soon as you were out of sight. Next thing I know, they're giggling like schoolgirls. I don't speak Mandarin. What's the joke?"

"Never mind them," she said to him. She could imagine what the pair had been talking about and did not want to risk offending their benefactor by enlightening him. "We need to get out of this weather and attend to their wounds properly."

"Alright," he said with another of his grins. "Follow me."

Benjamin scooped up three of the packs and strode down into the cave. The healthy jZav'Etch lifted the stretchers as before while Liat 'del Qha assisted Ty'em P'tral along the gentle decline. The passage followed a narrow split in the rock which gradually widened until it came out in a large chamber. Darkness hid the peak of the ceiling, but the main chamber was well lit by patches of the strange moss on the walls as well as some growing on the ends of posts set in sockets in the floor.

M'peth qHo could not believe her eyes. The natural stone of the floor had been smoothed here and there and in the low places it had been built up using flat stones with black sand packed tightly between them, resulting in a broad, level plane that spanned the breadth and length of the cave. Breast high walls of roughly shaped stones had been erected to divide the space, perhaps for privacy when there had been more Humans to occupy the chamber. What surprised her was the mixture of advanced technology with the primitive furnishings. In amongst a clutter of baskets and oddments atop a well-made, though somewhat crude table, sat what appeared to be a computer. In a corner sat what was obviously a water purification unit. Other equipment was neatly stacked or stored on shelves. In the center of all of this, surrounded by wide, squat stones for sitting was a low fire, its smoke disappearing into the darkness above.

"Home sweet home," said Benjamin. "Make yourselves comfortable. The storm is about to set its teeth and there won't be any going outside until it's done its worst."

"Thank you for saving us, Ben 'Jamin," M'peth qHo said humbly, pronouncing the Human name as any jZav'Etch would. "I fear you might have a shock coming to you, though."

"What do you mean?" he asked, his smile faltering.

In answer M'peth qHo unfastened a seal and removed her helmet. The blue-black tresses of her shoulder length mane spilled out, framing her auburn furred face. She blinked large, dark gold eyes at him and waited.

Benjamin's reaction was not precisely what she had anticipated. He frowned in confusion and then glanced around the chamber as the other jZav'Etch, one by one, doffed their helmets and looked at him.

"Cats," he said softly.

"Ben 'Jamin..." she began but he spoke over her.

"I've had enough," he said abruptly and turned away with a dismissive wave of his arm. He walked woodenly, all his former grace had disappeared. "I'm going to bed."

"Ben 'Jamin?" M'peth qHo called after him, uncertain what she should do.

"Night-night, imaginary kitty," he called back and disappeared into one of the walled off enclosures. A moment later they heard the rustling of cloth and then silence.

"How strange," remarked TaH 'Kiy mTh. "I thought he might cry out in fear or at least express some surprise."

"I believe he thinks we are hallucinations," M'peth qHo said.

"Commander, what do we do now?" asked Ima' Nef'Tn.

"Tend the wounded," she replied, though her eyes were still fixed on the enclosure where the Human had gone. "And eat if you are hungry. All of you should rest as soon as we have done what we can for the injured. I will stand watch."

"We should kill him now," Chep 'Urt vEss growled from over her left shoulder. "We have what we need. The Human is a liability."

M'peth qHo spun and flashed her teeth in the young male's face. Startled, he stepped back and she followed, keeping her threat present.

"I command here, Gunner!" she snapped, spittle flicking from her lips onto his muzzle. "I say the Human is important to us and he will not be harmed unless I decide he is a threat! Assist with the wounded or prepare food for the others, but do not challenge my authority again!"

Chep 'Urt vEss hesitated for an instant before he bowed his head and reluctantly withdrew to obey her instructions. From across the chamber Liat 'del Qha gave M'peth qHo a nod, indicating her approval and support. The commander nodded back, grateful that at least one of the survivors was with her. Likely, the other females would back her as well, but there was no guarantee. If one of the males or Liat 'del Qha, who had been first officer of the ship, stepped forward with a direct challenge it was possible she would be pushed aside in favor of a line officer. It was certainly well within regulations for a rear echelon officer to be subject to one of lower rank but greater experience in a combat situation.

"Perhaps that would be best," M'peth qHo murmured to herself, feeling the weight of responsibility on her back. She flicked her ears, dismissing this notion and returned her attention to the enclosure with the Human. She felt compassion for this strange being. How long had he been left alone on this planet, if indeed he was alone? This cavern appeared to have been occupied by several people, but if they were still alive, where were they? Her ears flicked again uncertainly. "What will we do with you, Ben 'Jamin?"

Behind her the other jZav'Etch stripped down to their duty uniforms consisting of light trousers and sleeveless undershirts. Their environment suits they folded and laid aside, setting their helmets on top of their boots. Ima' Nef'Tn helped Tem l'eth tong remove hers and then settled the injured female back onto her stretcher. Liat 'del Qha removed the bottom of Ty'em P'tral's suit, but had to leave her top on until a proper examination could be made of her shoulder. It was not possible to remove Es'tl Mei qHa's suit. Doing so would only aggravate his injuries. Besides, the suit could be linked to one of the medical kits to monitor his condition and administer whatever drugs might be needed.

"Commander," Liat 'del Qha called.

M'peth qHo turned to see the Pah'Tht kneeling next to the gravely injured dTel'Qohar, a med kit in her hand. She crossed the chamber and crouched next to her.

"His condition is worsening," Liat 'del Qha said, showing her the readout on the medical kit's screen. "He has extensive internal bleeding. Without a surgeon or at least an automated medical unit we can do nothing for him."

"Will he regain consciousness?" M'peth qHo asked.

"My med-kit indicates he might, but it would not be kind to allow it, Commander."

"He will die?" asked Ima' Nef'Tn, joining them.

"We cannot repair his injuries," Liat 'del Qha said somberly. "They are too extensive."

"Can we do nothing?" asked M'peth qHo.

"I have administered pain suppressers and sedatives enough for him to sleep peacefully, Commander," replied the pilot. "There is nothing more we can do."

"He is dTel'Qohar, as I am," said Ima' Nef'Tn, concern showing in her dark green eyes. "He would not wish to linger. It would be shameful to him."

"What do you suggest?" asked M'peth qHo.

"I will give him a proper death if you permit, Commander," said the larger female.

M'peth qHo exchanged a look with Liat 'del Qha who frowned, but nodded.

"Where will you do this?" she asked.

"If one of these openings along the wall leads to a small chamber, that would suit very well," Ima' Nef'Tn said. "It is a private thing. And he could remain there until we are able to burn him. I will need someone to help carry the stretcher."

"Go then and find an acceptable place," said the commander. "Be warry. Keep your weapon in hand and take no risks. Report if you find anything of interest."

"Thank you, Commander," said the dTel'Qohar female and rose to explore the side passages.

"What of the other two?" M'peth qHo asked when Ima' Nef'Tn had gone.

"Tem l'eth tong's wound was simple to clean and close. The gash was deep, but surprisingly clean. Whatever caused it had to be very sharp. She will be able to walk in a day or two if we can make a crutch for her. I believe in time she will recover fully." The small Pah'Tht glanced at Ty'em P'tral and shook her head. "The shoulder wound is more complicated than I had thought it would be."

"How so?" asked M'peth qHo.

"There are some bone chips that could cause additional damage if she is fool enough to move her arm before they have fused back onto the bone. Worse than that, though, we must do a minor procedure to insert a pin through the bone to reattach the ball. Otherwise she will be crippled until a surgeon can correct the damage."

"As you have said, we have no surgeon," M'peth qHo said with concern. "Can we perform such a procedure?"

"I believe we can, Commander," Liat 'del Qha said and held up the medical kit again. "Fortunately, this new generation kit can make the necessary pin and has a holographic guide for the procedure. It will require someone with a steady hand, but we can do it."

"Pilots have steady hands, do they not?"

"Some pilots are not so confident in their abilities," the Pah'Tht replied evenly. "Do commanders have steady hands?"

M'peth qHo gave her a mild look and nodded.

"I will attend to it, Liat 'del Qha," she said. "You have done very well."

They crossed to where Ty'em P'tral lay on her stretcher next to the fire.

"What is wrong?" she asked as they knelt next to her. Her eyes looked glassy and it seemed she was barely awake.

"We have to give you more suppressors," Liat 'del Qha told her.

"Why? I feel no pain," Ty'em P'tral said with a slack smile.

"We must repair the damage to your shoulder," M'peth qHo said gently. "You should not be awake during the procedure."

"Forger and Builder," swore the injured Thahn 'Den mildly now more serious if not more sober. "What... What needs to be done?"

"Only a pin to hold the two pieces of your bone together so they will heal properly," Liat 'del Qha said.

"A pin?" demanded the injured female melodramatically.

"A small one," Liat 'del Qha assured her.

"But you will have to shave my fur!" Ty'em P'tral practically wailed. Her ears lay back and her whiskers flattened against her cheeks in distress.

At M'peth qHo's concerned look, Liat 'del Qha said, "It is only the drugs making her act so, Commander. I have seen this before."

"My fur!" Ty'em P'tral wailed mournfully.

"It will grow back," M'peth qHo said in as motherly a fashion as she could.

"You must stop moving!" Liat 'del Qha said urgently as the larger female squirmed on the stretcher. "You will make your injury worse."

They administered a sedative and soon the injured Thahn 'Den lay quiet. It took a little time to remove the immobilizing bandages and the sleeve of her environment suit. When both were off they saw how swollen her shoulder had become, even with the anti-inflammatory drugs that had been administered. A quick pass of clippers removed a small patch of the fine sunset colored fur from her shoulder and then they used the medical kit to guide the setting of the broken bone. It laid a hologram over the living flesh showing a realistic three dimensional image of the bone fragments. M'peth qHo manipulated the unconscious female's arm and to their relief the pieces slipped together nicely.

"Can you hold her arm still?" M'peth qHo asked, sounding anxious even to her own ears.

"I can, Commander," said Liat 'del Qha.

M'peth qHo took a deep, centering breath and let it out slowly before using the medical kit to make the incision and drive the pin, reattaching the bone parts. A small portion of her mind focused on keeping her heart rate and breathing steady throughout the brief procedure. When it was done she let out a thin sigh. As she leaned back her focus waned and her hands shook as the stress passed quickly through her body.

"I do not believe I am as steady as you might have hoped," she chuckled with nervous relief.

"You did very well, Commander," Liat 'del Qha said earnestly, giving her a reassuring twitch of her ears. "Her arm must be immobilized now. I can see to it alone, Commander."

M'peth qHo rose and turned away, glad the task was done. Rarely had she been so nervous. Had the pin been inserted even slightly out of alignment it could have caused serious issues for Ty'em P'tral. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply again, trying to calm herself. When she opened them she found the male Thahn 'Den engineer standing a few paces away. He had been keeping watch on the Human's enclosure during the operation. Now he held out a ration pack to her with a deferential nod and a flick of his tail. He really was quite handsome, though very young. Dark burgundy stripes accented his red-orange fur nicely and complimented his shaggy mane which fell about his face, nearly concealing his grey eyes.

"Thank you," she said and accepted the rations. "You are called TaH 'Kiy mTh, are you not?"

"I am, Commander," he said. "I was engineer for the forward missile bay. I escaped with Tem l'eth tong and others who did not survive."

"You should rest," she said and tore open the pack to eat.

"As should you, Commander," he replied sincerely. "I am not over tired and you have made two climbs and done surgery you had no training for. I will watch the Human and keep us safe."

M'peth qHo took a square of compressed meat and bit off the corner, chewing absently as she considered the situation. She was certainly tired and somewhere under the suppressors the pain of her injuries waited to overtake her again. She wondered how extensive those injuries were. They could not be severe. Probably no more than bruises and strains, otherwise she would not be able to walk or climb as she had been doing. She looked at the Human's enclosure and then at the young Thahn 'Den engineer. He seemed perfectly capable of dealing with any threat Ben 'Jamin might pose. There was no reason not to allow him to stand watch.

"As you will," she said, finally. "Before I sleep, I wish to know what happened during the pursuit."

"I can only tell you what we saw on the screens in the missile bay, Commander," he said. His ears flicked uncertainly and his tail swished as if he did not wish to speak on the subject. "Perhaps you should discuss it with the pilot."

"She is busy at the moment," said M'peth qHo, chewing another bite of the compressed meat. She did not much care for these rations. Aboard ship food tasted much more natural because it was not necessary to compress or dehydrate it. They would need to find something else soon, regardless. Emergency packs did not contain many meals.

TaH 'Kiy mTh hesitated briefly before beginning his account of the pursuit.

"We launched a number of salvoes at the enemy," he said. "From our tracking screen we saw that their point defense weapons were very effective. The majority of our missiles were destroyed before reaching the target. Of course, their missiles had to face our point defense systems. Most of them were also destroyed."

"Never mind the details of the battle," she said with a wave of her hand. "Tell me how our ship came to crash on this world. What became of the mutineers?"

"Oh. Well, Ma'am, I am not entirely sure of the details," he said, his ears flattening to the sides and his whiskers drooping. "I know near the end we took heavy damage from one of their particle cannons when we came close aboard them. The blast damaged our number two turret sending feedback down the main power conduit, jumping all of the buffers and back into the capacitors. The capacitors exploded. It was too late for them, though. We'd fired as soon as our weapons could bear. At any rate, both ships had already entered the outer atmosphere and without our main engines we could not escape the gravity well. Somehow the pilot was able to bring us in on a controlled glide, if you could call it that. We crashed in the water and you know the rest."

"Can you tell me what became of the mutineers' ship?" she asked and bit into a flat tasting biscuit of compressed vegetables.

"I was too busy to look at the tracking screen, Ma'am," he said apologetically.

"I understand," she said, disappointed he had no further data. "Wake me if the Human emerges."

"Of course, Ma'am," he said deferentially.

"And do not remain on watch if you grow weary," she admonished. "Have one of the females take your place. Do not allow Chep 'Urt vEss to watch alone. That is an order. I do not trust his judgement in this matter."