Natori Kaczynski looked up from his morning coffee as the chime sounded at the hatch to his private quarters. The door slid open to reveal the rather unassuming figure of Doctor Lamont, clad in woolen slacks, a dress shirt, and sweater vest in lieu of the standard jumpsuit. He too was carrying a thermos of coffee, as well as a personal datapad.
“Ah Michael, right on time as always! Please be seated,” Natori gestured to the other chair in the room before holding out a small tin. “Can I offer you cinnamon with your morning brew?”
“I’m not sure artificial cinnamon will make artificial coffee go down any better,” Lamont replied amicably, seating himself and preparing his report. “I know you are a busy man, so why don’t we just get down to brass tacks?”
“I do so enjoy our conversations, Michael,” Natori mused wistfully. “But as you wish.”
“That’s because it is my job to help you, Admiral. Are you managing your stress appropriately?” The doctor inquired, not bothering to hide his exasperation. Natori smiled at him.
“My excitement and wonder far outweighs my stress these days. Yesterday was a difficult but immensely rewarding example. You met her as well. What are your thoughts on Veera, and by extension her people? Oh, and what did you think of Io?” He added with unvarnished interest.
“Well I’m glad one of us is so excited about the most dangerous achievement in all of human history. Perhaps you would be better situated to render your judgment on Io than I, Natori. As for Veera, I can only speak of my personal observations. She is not my patient, but I found her to be a bright, curious, and resilient individual. She is exactly what Lieutenant Winters needs. While I am not typically a fan of flamboyant language, woe befall whoever seeks to come between him and her.”
“So you’re saying Private Lipper is lucky to only have a broken jaw,” Natori added flatly. Lamont tilted his head in consideration.
“I am not sure, Admiral. We saw the same video and nothing more. But let us start from the beginning, shall we? Or would you like to hear my conclusion?”
“Conclusions first,” Natori insisted. Lamont took a sip of his coffee, adjusted his cuffs, and began.
“Yes sir. Lieutenant Winters was… difficult to pin down. PTSD is far too simplistic a diagnosis, as is this ‘berserker syndrome’. I would request you formally petition General Osmundson to fire whatever lunatic came up with that term.”
“That doctor is dead, Michael, as is the rest of the Lancer’s crew,” Natori reminded him quietly. Dr. Lamont cleared his throat and glanced down at his tablet.
“Yes, I suppose so. My apologies, Natori.”
“It’s nothing, Michael. I had a bit of a chuckle as well when I read that portion of his file. Carry on, please. And conclusions first,” the Admiral reminded him with a knowing grin.
“Indeed. In short, sir, I recommend Lieutenant Winters be allowed to remain a Jumper with your full confidence. I recommend integrating him into your mission here on Mara, even if it is only to speak with him and assure him that his actions among the local population center are in our joint best interest. And finally, I would recommend you reveal as much to your own team as is necessary to keep them from provoking him. Natori, the things Io showed me-”
“Let me stop you right there, Michael,” he offered firmly. “Io and I are in the process of building a relationship of mutual trust, if you will; one that I hope will save each and every one of us on board this ship should we find ourselves at odds again. While she left me an after action report, if you will, it was text and images only. She said she cleared this disclosure with the Lieutenant beforehand. Whatever you saw, please keep it between you and your patient for now. Thanks to repeated assurances and reports to emissary Qul’Roth on my behalf about our research at the ancient site, as well as our crew’s conduct within the village, I believe the urgency of a tribunal review decreases by the day. I am comfortable allowing you your confidentiality with them, at least on this issue. Should that change I will inform you.”
“And Delta brass wonder why I came to work for you,” Lamont chuckled. “Thank you, Admiral. To finish my conclusions, the Lieutenant is a dangerous man but not in an unpredictable or unacceptable way. He’d be a failure of a Jumper if he were not.”
“I am in agreement,” Natori added, making a note on his own device to reach out to Winters that day based on Dr. Lamont’s recommendation. “Now I intend to partially go back on my word and request that you explain what sort of man arrived on Mara approximately one year ago, and how his time there has changed him.”
Lamont shifted his glasses slightly on the bridge of his nose as he gathered his thoughts. After looking toward the ceiling briefly, he nodded and began his report. “Forgive me Mr. Winters, but the Admiral did ask. And for what it’s worth, Natori, the mood in the room throughout was one that indicated everyone present understood the events discussed would not remain complete secrets on account of military matters.”
“Please Michael,” Kaczynski encouraged. Lamont was known for both his professionalism and loquaciousness. He figured the two went hand in hand.
“Were you aware that Lieutenant Winters was romantically involved with his ship’s captain? And I don’t just mean physically.”
“I was not,” Natori spoke slowly, contemplating the contours of his desk as his eyes eventually found the picture of his wife and daughter. “That would be an awful risk just for a bit of sex, even for a Jumper.”
“He claimed that the two of them began seeing one another when there was no inappropriate rank differential. I saw no reason to doubt the accusation. If it is true, they were involved for at least three years at the time of her death, perhaps longer,” Lamont reported sadly.
“And he married an alien woman less than a year later?”
“Natori, you are jumping ahead,” the psychologist warned him with a friendly tone, nevertheless allowing his shoulders to sag. The two men contemplated such a loss from afar with only the soft humming of the Event Horizon to keep them company. “When he lost his ship I don’t consider it an exaggeration to say Lieutenant Winters lost everything. His friends, his comrades, his love, and his only way home to his family. Instead of breaking under traumatic stress, he thrived.”
“That is what Jumpers are trained to do,” Natori opined, feeling a slight need to step in on account of his own soldiers. Lamont shook his head.
“You know better than I do that nobody trains for what he experienced. Long periods without contact or behind enemy lines? Of course. Survival with no realistic hope of rescue? Less so. And regardless of his conditioning, Natori, Russell Winters admitted to suicidal ideation in basic training on more than one occasion, a circumstance that certainly predates his enlistment. Whoever applied the necessary pressure to keep him in the program took an immense gamble.”
“I think we both know exactly who that person is, Michael. Marshall Winters’ boy, earned the rank of First Lieutenant and won himself the affections of his commanding officer on the side. I’m not sure even I would take such a risk,” Natori declared.
“We all are blind when it comes to our children. And I have no choice but to look at the man as he is today and declare Colonel Winters’ gambit a success. But we have digressed. Between Io’s burgeoning humanity, which Lieutenant Winters clearly encouraged at every turn, and his contact with Veera, he found what he needed to survive.”
“You said he was over his… condition,” Kaczynski interrupted briefly, concern knitting his brow. Dr. Lamont shook his head.
“I said no such thing, Natori. Suicide appeals to people for all sorts of reasons, but I would broadly group those into external and internal factors. Lieutenant Winters grew up in a stable, loving home with siblings, two parents, and enough material wealth to shelter him from starvation, homelessness and the like. While we did not discuss his teenage years directly, I think it’s safe to say that his reasons for considering suicide were internal. He did not think his life to be worth living, and to this day I do not think he considers himself to be a good man.”
Natori took a sip of coffee before touching a button on the side of his desk. “Turnwell? I’ll be late to the bridge this morning. If there are any emergencies use the direct line. Thank you. Very well Michael,” he said, steepling his fingers and leaning forward on his elbows. “You have my undivided attention.”
“You are surprised, Natori?” Michael wondered.
“You’re surprised that I am surprised?” Natori countered calmly, shifting backward in his chair slightly in an effort to get comfortable. “You may have been made aware of something I am not, his relationship with the deceased Jessica Yang being one such item, but his actions are not those of a self-loathing man.”
“Duty is an extraordinarily powerful motivator, in men especially. As is the most basic desire to live. Your cerebral tissue may tell you life is not worth it. Your medulla will always disagree,” Michael ‘explained’. Natori curled the corner of his lips.
“I’ll take the long version, my friend.”
“I suppose we should start with what it means to be a man, then,” Michael agreed as Natori raised his brows and let slip a chuckle.
“If you say the words toxic and masculinity together I’ll have to space you, fair warning!”
“How long do you intend to torture my profession over that?”
“Until the unconverted realize that God put men on Earth and in space to fight and die for the rest of us,” Natori explained. “But I suppose I have always been old fashioned in a certain way.”
“It’s as good a starting point as any,” Lamont took up the conversation. “While I would not dare write such a thing in any official report, Russell Winters absolutely falls under the pseudo-scientific label of the ‘warrior class’. Men who are, let’s put it generously… more in touch with the primal role we were meant to play as the majority recipients of testosterone in our species. Some deal with it more constructively than others. His older brother is apparently a lawyer, just to name an example from the same family. It’s certainly one kind of battlefield.”
“So you’re saying he wanted to fight?”
“Not exactly. I’m saying that he looked around and saw a world that he didn’t understand, or perhaps one that didn’t feel quite right. It can manifest differently for everyone. Perhaps he saw injustice go unresolved. Perhaps he was attacked and then punished for defending himself. Perhaps he sought out violence and society didn’t reward him as he thought it might. Perhaps it was none of those things. All that is relevant, for our purposes, is that he felt he had no reason to exist until he joined the HEL. The Jumpers trained him to be brutal for a purpose, and while my objections to phrases like ‘berzerker’ stand, it is clear he delighted in it. Now contrast that delight with the sort of moral upbringing he likely received under Marshall Winters and his mother.”
“I believe I’m beginning to see your point,” Natori said slowly, piecing together small pieces of information and interactions. “He was rather quick to point weapons on my bridge.”
“And why did he do that, Admiral?” Dr. Lamont asked, already knowing the answer.
“He believed those dear to him were at risk.”
“A vicious cycle, is it not?” the psychologist mused, taking his glasses between his fingers and polishing them with his woolen vest. “When he left that village to kill this… ursae, was it? He did so because it was what had to be done and, I believe, because he desperately wanted to fight something he knew could kill him.”
“Who does he think he is, Beowulf?” Kaczynski demanded, aghast. Lamont placed his chin in the cleft between his thumb and forefinger, lost in thought for a moment.
“I suppose there are worse analogies. Beowulf was only concerned with his name living on after his death. Russell Winters was determined to die a murderer or return a hero. He did not act on his worst thoughts when he was a teenager, and he gained much stability in the military, but then everything was torn away from him. He survived, miraculously, formed new bonds, found a new home. And then he had to commit mass slaughter to save it. This was around the same time, he tells me, he decided to propose to Veera. And so he left her, determined to return worthy of her or not at all. His AI, by her own admission, claims to have built herself from his own personality and actions, as well as those of the Cauthan around him. Natori listen to me, and listen carefully,” Lamont pleaded. Kaczynski leaned forward again, furrowing his brow seriously so that his companion knew he had his undivided attention.
“I am listening, Michael.”
“Do not allow anything to happen to those aliens, certainly anything that could even remotely be considered our fault. If he loses everything again I don’t frankly know if his sister’s presence in the system would be enough, much less his AI. That virtual woman might even join him. I assume she’s everywhere in the ship by now?”
“She is, was within minutes,” Natori affirmed darkly. “Michael, you said he came back the hero.”
“And what is a hero without his people?” Dr. Lamont proposed. “Are you familiar with the fundamentals of Aristotelian virtue?”
“Everything in moderation, including moderation?”
“More or less,” Lamont agreed. “I don’t believe the Lieutenant’s concept of his own worth is very high, as I stated previously. In response he overcompensates in his duty to others. He appears a model citizen, but it will crash down around him the moment the supports are pulled away. I would like to conclude my report by reiterating my insistence that he be allowed to remain a Jumper within the normal chain of command, but with the understanding that his mission for now continues to be on Mara. He is not a danger to himself or others… as things stand now.”
“Unless others present as a danger to those he cares for,” Natori finished. “Understood Michael, thank you for your report. Given that it should be just after sunrise planetside, I believe I will give the Lieutenant a ring immediately. Unless you had anything more?”
“The young woman he married took an immediate liking to the orchids in my office,” Dr. Lamont reported fondly. Natori smiled as well.
“Anita Prakash already set her up with her own seeds in bay number seven. Hopefully we will be seeing more of them both aboard the ship, engaging in more… pleasant interactions than yesterday.”
“I hope so as well. Call on me if you need me, Admiral,” Lamont insisted, turning off his tablet, collecting his coffee and standing to depart. He paused at the doorway and turned back. “Natori, you do not need to bear your burdens alone.”
The Admiral fixed him with an approachable but unreadable look. “Thank you, Michael. I will remember that.”
“As you say. Good day, Natori.” The hatch slid shut behind the ship’s psychologist, leaving Natori alone with his thoughts.
Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
-----
“And once again I find myself envious of your breakfast. A moment of your time, Lieutenant?” Natori requested, having made it past Io the ‘gatekeeper’ who promptly activated Winters’ B-MASS so that the Admiral could speak to them all. Russell and Veera had just sat down to day old bread, cured chesko, and dato.
“Sir, if this is about the latrines-”
“I can assure you, and your wife,” Natori’s projection added with a polite nod Veera’s way. “I would not deign to interrupt your morning meal on account of some toilets. I wanted to touch base regarding a request I received late last night from Dr. Dupuis. It seems her initial exam with… Asha, is it? Yes, it seems she managed to acquire an old tooth and quite a few blood samples, quite the haul for our biologists. She mentioned the desire to bring this young mother aboard the Event Horizon for an ultrasound. While I am more than confident in my pilots’ abilities in transporting vulnerable persons to and from orbit, it seems that the father is less than convinced about the situation.”
“And you want me to do something about it,” Winters replied sternly, throwing the Admiral a sharp look as Natori held up a hand for peace.
“If you believe it is in Asha’s best interest, yes. I would like that very much, if only for the pursuit of knowledge about the universe and our newest allies. You have their trust, Lieutenant. I am asking you to use that bond for the good of us both, not abuse it.”
“Understood, sir. Is that all?” Russell wondered in a more congenial tone. Veera waved her feathers in subtle approval, not wanting conflict in her home so early in the morning.
“It is not. I just finished speaking with Dr. Lamont.” The eating took a momentary pause.
“And?”
“I was wondering if Io hadn’t told you already,” Kaczynski joked.
‘Admiral, I am impressive, not omniscient. Though I suppose there’s nothing stopping me from reviewing every packet of data flying around your ship at all times, other than the banality of it all,’ Io defended herself haughtily. ‘Though I do think I’ll take a look at that comparative blood panel you mentioned.’
“If you could at least introduce yourself to the researchers first?” Natori requested.
‘Oh? You have decided it’s time to lift the veil?’ Io replied curiously, choosing to share projection space as she sipped a cup of coffee. ‘What brought this on?’
“A combination of prodding questions about manufactory number one, as well as the subject I was about to discuss before we were derailed,” Natori said with a wink. Io remained unfazed.
‘Despite their Frenchness I suppose I can be sporting about it. The floor is yours then, Admiral.’
“Thank you, Io. Lieutenant Winters, I will start by conveying to you Dr. Lamont’s recommendations. He believes you should remain on active duty with my full support and as a member of this command structure, given you are the only Omega presence for quite a few star systems at this time. I see no reason to go against the good doctor.”
“That’s wonderful, right Russell?” Veera asked happily. He nodded, allowing a small smile to shine through for her.
“Yeah, I suppose it is. But if I’m going to serve under your command structure we need to talk about that Sergeant and his-”
“It’s Private now, Lieutenant. And please don’t tell me you’re afraid of a five foot nine Lance Corporal?” Natori tried for levity. Winters nodded slowly.
“So that was the decision then. He knows what’ll happen if he pulls something like that, right? And I don’t mean my fist,” the Jumper clarified. Natori nodded as his brow furrowed seriously.
“I can assure you I do, Lieutenant. That’s in no small thanks to Io, as well as your furry friends on the surface. To that end I intend to have you work separately from my Jumpers for the most part. I think that would be beneficial for all parties at least for the time being. Returning to my point about the ultrasound, you are in a unique position to facilitate an expedited cultural exchange, to explain to them that we mean them no harm and inform us if something seemingly innocuous could be a problem. I will land on Mara today and speak with Antoth directly, if he is available for an audience. I believe I owe him that much after yesterday’s altercation.”
Natori’s declaration gained him approving and surprised looks from around the dying cooking fire, which sparked feebly now that it was no longer being fed. Winters scratched his chin. “I’ll let him know to expect you then. I’d like to make a request, sir.”
“Go on,” Natori allowed, clearly intrigued.
“One of your Jumpers is a pilot, yeah? The Russian woman? Come down with her, Corporal Mendes, and a heavy lift shuttle with plenty of chains or cables please, sir. As I said yesterday there’s something I need to collect out in the forest.”
“This is related to your grand hunt?”
“I suppose you could describe it that way as a third party,” Winters acknowledged darkly. “Part of it is putting your greenhorns in their place. Sorry, has to be done if you ask me. The other part is the fact that our obstinate husband in question is the Cauthan who forged the weapon I used to kill that thing. I think he should come along, have a little chat. Asha actually came by last night and asked us the same thing, if we could talk to him.”
“Your healer made a very good impression,” Veera complimented Natori, hoping to keep things on a level keel between the two men. The Admiral acknowledged her with thanks.
“I will be sure to let her know, Veera. Lieutenant, I think it would be good for those two to get some air. I see no reason to deny you. The approach window will be open in about an hour from the looks of things. I must attend to business up here if I am to depart with them. Was there anything you wished to discuss regarding your visit with Dr. Lamont?”
“No sir, he was professional,” Russell recalled, seeing no need to dig into anything given the favorable outcome.
“Very good. Finally, I wanted you and Io to know that I am lowering the priority of your tribunal hearing. It is to be postponed, perhaps indefinitely.”
‘Admiral, an explanation please?’ Io requested, sitting upright in what was becoming her favorite plush leather chair, at least when she wasn’t playing barbarian queen on her throne of furs. Russell nodded, sharing his AI’s sentiment.
“Of course. As you might imagine I have been in constant contact with emissary Qul’Roth since our unfortunate altercation on the bridge. He has so far approved of our interactions with the Cauthan, given the nature of the signed treaty. Additionally, there is no human presence on Mara beyond the deployment at the Forge. They are currently engaged in a study of the surrounding biosphere as well as exterior examination of the structure. This all seems to be approved under his Order as well. I believe that if I were to show him proof that you have been acting under Captain Yang’s orders since your arrival here, he will not press the issue further. In that event it may even be prudent to forestall such a review until we are back on Earth. There are still many things we do not know.” As Natori finished his explanation, Winters waved his arm Io’s way. The Jumper had his elbows on his knees, shaking his head at the idea of the Ghaelen getting to hear Jess’ last words to him.
“Send the file Io, before I change my mind. Last thing I need is that horned space commie demanding testimony from the Cauthan,” he stated. The Admiral allowed his comments to pass with silent sympathy, though he refused to speak in direct support of the sentiment. Io regarded her partner for a few moments before summoning her seemingly endless display of files. They flew by one after another, eventually slowing to a halt. A shimmering ball of light and opalescent audio waveforms emerged as the folder itself dissolved away, a small tribute on Io’s part in Jess’ memory. With a flick of her wrist she sent the file skyward and out of the projection, pinging it off of Alice’s comm array and up towards the Event Horizon.
“Just get it done Admiral, please,” Winters implored.
“I will do everything within my power, Lieutenant. I will speak with you in person shortly. Veera, a pleasure as always and my apologies for disrupting your morning meal.”
“Oh, it’s fine!” She replied quickly as the connection was disabled. “He’s rather polite, and that was nice of him to do. So everything is ok now?” Veera wondered, plopping herself in Russell’s lap. “You know I only like your brooding face in small measures.”
“Can’t say everything will be fine forever but yes, this does resolve a lot of loose ends,” her husband acknowledged, wrapping his free arm around her and nuzzling her with the tip of his nose. “You ready for Ratha’s face when I tell her to knock down a wall?”
“Oh stop it, you! She’s pregnant now. And she stood up for us yesterday,” Veera murmured, nipping at his ear. Winters breathed deeply and relaxed, effectively conceding the point through body language.
“I guess times really are changing. Wonder what new shenanigans Alice will get up to today.”
Veera allowed a low purr to rumble from her chest, running her fingers through Russell’s short hair. “I can’t wait to see!”
-----
“Winters!” the voice of Zolta’s master boomed out as the human entered the temple of Tyrdus. Even at the early hour the place was bustling with activity, the ongoing restoration of the village occupying time and labor alongside the everyday facets of a smith’s job, like repairing farming tools or carving furniture.
“Selah, Nerazek. You’re well?” the human asked, bumping his bare forearm with the Cauthan. While he’d not done much at his pod of late, he had stopped by to forge a pair of short sleeved shirts given the weather. He didn’t like the Event Horizon’s style.
“Splendid, Winters! But my mate and children have been bothering me for fish of late. Any chance you’re still in the business?” the burly smith wondered. Russell chuckled.
“Fishing sounds great right about now, actually. If I do I’ll be sure to give you an offer on any excess catch. Today though I need to borrow Zolta, if that’s alright.”
The Cauthan in question looked up from where he was sharpening an axe. With demand for building material at a multi-year high, their tools needed regular maintenance. Nerazek frowned. “If it’s important I’m sure we can spare him for a while but...”
“I understand,” Winters said in almost fluent Cauthan. “It’s no frivolous task though, I assure you. I know where to find a bit of refined metal.”
“Well why didn’t you say so?” Nerazek replied, his voice reverberating through the main room of the temple. “How many of us will you need?”
“Just Zolta. Sorry, it’s not a large find or anything but it’s definitely got sentimental value. Zolta, they’re sending a shuttle to retrieve the ursae’s skull today. What’s say you and I go check it out and see if we can find that spear you made me last year? I lodged it pretty deep in there; should still be somewhere inside those mandibles.”
Russell grinned impishly along with Io as the majority of the smiths, Nerazek included, looked not at them, but at Zolta. “My boy, what’s all this about?”
“Or did you not tell them that you forged the weapon that delivered the killing blow?” Winters finished with childlike enthusiasm, precipitating a series of whispers and questions that slowly grew louder as Zolta mumbled that the human had ‘done most of the work on his own’. Nerazek was not having it.
“Is it true, Zolta? He struck the beast down with that spear?!” the smith roared approvingly, his minimal plumage fluttering with excitement. Given the phrasing of the question, Zolta could do naught but reply in the affirmative. Before long fists were pounding on wooden tables, the young Cauthan’s feathers were being ruffled by appreciative comrades, and Nerazek was describing in great detail how he planned to rub that particular fact in Ratha’s face when next they met. In the commotion, Zolta was almost forced out of the building in a unanimous decision that he should go and retrieve what was certainly up to that point the greatest work of his life. Winters saw the job done, wrapping an arm around the young male’s shoulders as he called over his own.
“Nerazek, just make sure there’s a lot of open space in the town square this afternoon!”
“It shall be done, human! Selah to you!”
“Do you ever act normal?” Zolta demanded in a defeated tone as Winters led him on a casual walk down the main road towards the western gates.
“Define normal,” Winters shot back teasingly. “Look, if it’s such a big deal I’ll let you go back to grinding your axe, literally. But don’t you, you know, want to take a ride on a human flying machine and check out an ursae skull that just happens to have your own work stuck inside it?”
“So no, you never act normal,” the Cauthan answered his own question with an appreciative huff as they took shelter from the sun on the inside of the wall, waiting for Natori’s arrival along with Private Orlova and Lance Corporal Mendes.
“I’m here, aren’t I? And unlike my sister and MacGregor I didn’t exactly get to your planet following standard procedure,” Russell reasoned.
“Must run in the family,” Zolta assessed. “Your sister’s no better than you are.”
‘Is that jealousy I do detect?’ Io opined sweetly given she had no way to project herself. ‘We can get you some glasses too if you want them!’
“Asha wants to go up to your ship,” Zolta replied sharply. Winters nodded his head several times.
“Yeah yeah, we’re going to talk about it. Part of the reason I dragged you out here in addition to bragging rights. I know you worry about pretty much everything, but try not to on this one, ok?”
“Easier said than done.”
“You can go with her, be at her side the whole time,” Russell assured him, looking up at another beautiful blue summer sky. “Hell, Veera and I need to head back up there soon anyway. Might as well make an event out of it. Io will watch over her too.”
‘With the utmost care and greatest pleasure,’ the AI assured them. ‘She’s gotten decidedly plump. Never ceases to fascinate me, new life.’
Discussion of Asha only seemed to cause Zolta to withdraw in on himself, prompting Winters to rest a hand on his shoulder as high above a small, black speck could be seen in the sky, slowly moving closer to the village. “It’s been a while since you and I got to talk alone, you know, without the girls always giggling or conspiring about something or the other.”
“Yeah, I suppose so,” the Cauthan agreed.
“So what’s really on your mind?”
Zolta’s ears twitched in annoyance as the sound of the heavy shuttle’s engines reached them. “I’m nervous and stressed out all the time. Too much is changing and I can’t keep up with it all. You? You were probably a good change. But ever since Asha got pregnant it’s been one thing after another. Sometimes I have nightmares about that night…”
“It was bad,” Russell agreed as Io frowned and observed patiently.
“And I’m one of the lucky ones,” Zolta acknowledged. “I didn’t lose my home. I didn’t lose my limbs or an eye like Xan did. I didn’t die.”
“Doesn’t matter. The dead are at peace,” Winters stated, though he knew his tone was not one of surety.
“I hope so, at least the ones that we lost. But when I wake up alone it takes a while to remember that she’s with her parents and she’s fine. I haven’t even had a chance to start on a foundation yet. That land has just been sitting empty. I don’t think I ever thanked you properly for that, either. Thank you,” Zolta said as the shuttle’s approach almost drowned them out. The on duty guards were quite annoyed by the commotion as well, to say nothing of nearby shen and farmers, but as soon as Natalya touched down the engines fell silent and peace was restored. Antoth and Ratha looked their way as the gates opened, having been notified before Winters’ pit stop at the temple of Tyrdus.
“First, you don’t need to thank me. You and Asha have been good to me and Veera. Had to return the favor. Two, I’ll start when we get back. Io and I will work through some plans and run them by you. I need a new project to keep me in shape and keep myself focused. And Zolta?”
“That wasn’t it?” the smith demanded, taken aback at how flippantly Winters had declared he would build them a home just like that.
“No, that’s not it,” the human said quietly, watching as Natori and Antoth stopped a couple paces from one another and bowed stiffly. Ratha did not move. “I have nightmares about that night too. I know you need to stay strong for Asha, but if it ever gets to be too much you should talk to me, or her, or someone you trust. There’s no shame in it, and keeping it inside will destroy you. Io, maybe you should stay for this one? Just give us the ursae’s coordinates.”
‘I suppose my talents would be better put to use in matters of diplomacy as opposed to carcass retrieval,’ the AI agreed after a moment of thought. ‘Best estimates of the location have been loaded to the shuttle, sir. I will go introduce myself to the Admiral now. Zolta, you are not forgotten. I already have some ideas I think you and Asha would appreciate.’ With that promise, Io straightened her uniform and walked calmly out of sight on Winters’ visor. They could tell the moment she greeted Natori, as the tall, thin man suddenly brought a finger to his ear. If he had any qualms about Io hopping between pieces of networked HEL tech like a frog on lily pads, he seemed content to keep them to himself for now. With translation and a cultural liaison secured, Antoth led Natori into the village, leaving a rather nervous Lance Corporal looking on from the shuttle. Having walked to the gates and acknowledged their presence, Russell was about to introduce Zolta to the other Jumpers when distinctly human footfalls behind him resolved into Alice jumping onto his back.
“Hey little bro! Did your friends bring any goodies for me? I placed a few orders yesterday.”
“They aren’t my friends, Alice. So I approve of you treating them like delivery boys,” Russell smirked, easily lifting the young woman off his back and depositing her on the ground. The arrival of the shuttle had also summoned Lachlan to the gates.
“Alice, if they’ve brought this sorta bird I don’t think we’re lookin’ at a typical supply run. Best be grabbin’ whatever it is you need and let ‘em head out,” the Marine advised as Winters nodded his way. “Lieutenant, good day to ye.”
“And you, Private. Could I trouble you to assist my overeager sister yet again today?” Russell laughed, noticing a rather large crate that seemed to be made of wood resting in the shuttle’s hold.
“Rusty!” Alice complained, only to have her brother place her in a delicate headlock as he mussed up her hair.
“You’re doing well. Keep it up,” he whispered, having heard plenty about Alice’s initiatives with glasses and lanterns from various Cauthan around the village, his wife included.
“I… ok?” Alice finally replied, though by that time Lachlan had already greeted Mendes and Orlova, and retrieved the crate. Though designed to look at home within the walls of the rustic Cauthan village, to the touch it became clear it was synthetic material and not genuine wood.
“Come on, Lassie! I’m sure these Jumpers have all sorts of mayhem to be getting up to. What’s say we actually do some good for these folk, eh?” the Scottish Marine suggested. Alice delighted in his light jab at the Jumpers, her brother included of course, and so she added fuel to the fire by looping her arm around Lachlan’s. Taking care not to dislodge the crate or inconvenience him in any way, she looked over her shoulder and stuck her tongue out at Russell. He just cocked a brow and waved back.
“Ah, what would I ever do without my big, strong, Marine bodyguard?” Alice wondered loudly as the two of them headed back to the village. Mendes walked forward to stand shoulder to shoulder with Russell.
“Not exactly the way you planned it?” the newly minted Lance Corporal wondered.
“What? Alice hanging off of some guy to spite me? Happens all the time,” Winters replied with little concern. “It helps that I like him more than you. I suppose congratulations are in order, by the way.”
“Not sure I agree, but thank you sir,” Mendes replied, casting a pointed look at Zolta who had politely stood to the side as the various humans had their time together. Being the odd species out was a new feeling for him. Russell found himself in the role of translator.
“Zolta, this is Lance Corporal Mendes and Private Orlova. They’re the same kind of soldier I am, at least in theory,” he explained, the Cauthan language allowing him to throw some shade at the Beta team before he switched to English. “Corporal, Private, this here is Zolta. He’s a smith in the village, a good friend, and soon to be father. He’s the one who forged the spear I used to kill what we’ll be collecting today.”
“If I wanted a fairy tale I would have remained aboard the Event Horizon with my books, sir,” Natalya replied before looking Zolta’s way. “Selah is the right word, yes?” Without waiting for confirmation she retreated to the shuttle’s cockpit, leaving Mendes alone. The Brazilian looked between Russell and the brown furred Cauthan, shrugging his shoulders.
“Well, it’s another beautiful day down here. I suppose I could go for a story.”