"What's on your mind?" Russell asked as he and Veera settled in for a few hours aboard a shuttle piloted by Private Orlova. Cromwell and the rest of the Event Horizon team were otherwise occupied with Thantis and their mining mission, with Natori and the elder priest having departed a couple hours earlier. Veera had been studying her claws rather intently.
"I may be rather upset with you," she informed him, her feathers and tone indicating a lack of surety as opposed to strong condemnation. He laced his fingers with hers, using his other hand to keep Fenrir calm as the shuttle bounced a bit on its way to cruising altitude.
"You may be?" he repeated amicably.
"I know I've said similar things in the past to be standoffish, and that your people are more relaxed about these things," Veera acknowledged. "But I would like our private life to remain private. Your leader Natori is already too curious for his own good."
"To say nothing of Alice," Winters acknowledged. "Ok Veera, I'm sorry."
"Mmm? Just like that?" she wondered. He shrugged and left a light kiss on her nose.
"Just like that. Why not?" he asked. "I think your people have the right of such things in a way. Especially considering the history of my country. Bit interesting, that."
"What happened?" Veera asked, leaning against his shoulder. "I feel like we haven't been able to just talk like this in forever."
"Yeah. It's been a wild few cycles, hasn't it?" he agreed. "Anyway, I guess the best way to describe it is that when my grandparents were young the… let's call them the cultural majority of the country. They were very concerned with what people did in the privacy of their own home and in their beds. I always found it ironic, since in almost every other respect these people wanted the government to leave them alone to live as they pleased."
"How interesting," Veera commented. "I don't think that works very well though."
"You're right on that count," Russell confirmed. "By the time my parents were born and growing up, apparently things changed so much that you had the polar opposite. You had people who were formerly looked down on over sharing their way of life with everyone else in a quite public manner."
"Did they want others to do what they were doing?" Veera asked. "Being a human sounds very complicated."
Russell laughed. "All the more reason to keep living like Cauthan, yeah? But to answer your question, no. They weren't as heavy handed in terms of legislation, using the government to get their way. They never demanded others join them explicitly, but they enjoyed ridiculing and ostracizing those who felt differently. Huge mess from what I can tell. Things are somewhere in between now. Point is, you're right Veera. We'll keep what we do between us."
"Which is why you brought our tent, of course," she simpered. "I approve, darling."
"Figured it would be better than sharing a bunk with those meatheads," Winters explained with a smirk. "That and… it's almost time, right?"
"Is that excitement I hear in your voice, Russell?" Veera teased, sniffing at the crook of his neck before leaving a nip there. "But yes, it is. Thank you. I'm glad we won't need to share a living space with other humans."
"No problem. Let's just enjoy our vacation for a couple days," he said.
"And try not to worry about Alice and Lachlan all alone in the village?" she chuckled.
"Alice is a big girl, she'll be fine," Russell insisted.
"I keep forgetting she's the older one," Veera admitted, reaching over to pet Fenrir. He'd been allowed out into the forest before leaving, and up to that point remained in the 'good boy' camp. "You just always seem more mature than her."
Russell's riotous laughter quickly filled the otherwise empty hull of the shuttle. "Oh man, would you mind repeating that when you meet my parents for the first time?"
"Russell!" Veera moaned. "I'm trying to compliment you."
"I know, thanks Veera. Gods willing you'll not get too many stories about when that wasn't the case. I'm fine with it this way, seeing Alice still so hyped up about everything all the time."
"Such a contrast to my big, serious, strong, competent human," Veera cooed softly. "You don't miss it?"
"Miss what?" Russell inquired.
"Life before you met me. Whatever exciting life turned you into what you are today," she explained with hooded eyes. He cradled her cheek with his hand.
"You know I was ready to stay here forever if the Event Horizon never came. I think when we get home we can find what we have now all over again, just with a few more bells and whistles, like cooking fire on command, snap of your fingers."
"Oh yeah? Show me," Veera ordered playfully, not quite willing to get so excited without confirmation.
'Dearest Veera, may I present the gas stove top. I added a central burner for large pans, sir.'
"Ha! Postcards and now interior design? Guess you can do everything, Io," Winters said appreciatively as the apron-clad AI stood on hardwood floors in front of a gas range oven and a couple cabinets just to round out the kitchen look.
'And don't forget it, soldier boy,' Io teased, styling up her hair like an old-time suburban married woman. The contrast was rather jarring but she seemed to be enjoying it, bending dramatically at the waist to twist one of the burner knobs. A small, blue flame sprang to life.
"Is that real?" Veera demanded with excitement.
"Yeah. This sort of thing has been around for more than a hundred years easily. That bottom bit there, the oven, that could roast a whole leg of chesko evenly. No need for turning over a fire," he explained. “But like I said last winter, we still enjoy a good grill when it comes to cuts of meat. Fire is one of those timeless classics, you know?”
"How splendid," the Cauthan agreed. Without anything better to do, Io took her on a tour of what Winters supposed was the AI's ideal kitchen in the event she hung up the mantle of only sapient digital lifeform in favor of something more mundane, like the only sapient digital housewife.
‘Behold, Veera! Fresh water on demand in either hot, cold, or some temperature in between. We already discussed the stove, but how about a box that can warm your food back up without a fire?’ the AI gushed, turning on a model microwave. Veera’s tail waved back and forth as a bowl of stew circled slowly within. Russell laughed and held up his left arm higher so she didn’t have to shove her nose into the projection.
“Now you are pulling my feathers, Io!”
‘I assure you I am not! Oh, and what do you say to this?’ the AI laughed, walking to a different corner of the kitchen and disappearing the stove and microwave in favor of a refrigerator next to the sink. ‘May I present winter in a box, Veera. Up here we have everything just above the temperature at which water freezes, great for keeping your perishable items fresh for longer. And down here,’ Io bent over and waggled her hips exactly once as she opened the freezer. ‘We have a frozen area to preserve meats and other goods for months or even years. Just beware of freezer burn.’
While Russell had been momentarily distracted by his digital companion’s rear, which he could have sworn was larger than usual on account of Io’s desire to fill out the rather voluminous pink patterned dress she was wearing, Veera was gripping his arm tightly. “You put Kel in a box?!”
Private Orlova had to turn up the volume of the music she was playing inside of her helmet on account of Winters’ riotous laughter, so loud it was even unnerving to Fenrir. Io of course couldn’t help but join in for a moment before composing herself in order to attempt to explain refrigeration to Veera. Unfortunately, the principles of thermodynamics proved a bit impenetrable and eventually they settled on ‘removal of warmth’.
“So every human has these things in their home, all of them?” Veera wondered, her head swimming at the idea. Io looked to Winters for how to proceed. He managed to nod and shake his head at the same time.
“In my country, all but the absolute poorest of people do, yes,” he confirmed. “If you want to talk about the entire planet I’d say somewhere around half of the population does, maybe more? The development of human society is pretty uneven to be honest. There are still humans that live almost exactly like you and your people do.”
Contemplation of such a complex and disparate civilization was beyond Veera for the moment. There was only so much she felt she could fully understand from Io traipsing around an imaginary kitchen. That, at least, she understood. “I would like a k-kitchen?” she tried, still a bit unsure when it came to English words for which her people had no equivalent. The idea of a room devoted entirely to the storage and preparation of food for a single family was almost unbelievable. “All of the people of your tribe have them?”
“Yes, they do,” Russell confirmed softly, meeting her eyes and easing the expression of his own. He hoped to assure her that such a desire was not only normal, but something he approved of. Under other circumstances he might have had a chuckle at a woman like Veera, a survivor and warrior, asking for something like a kitchen. But given how he preferred the life of ‘Veera’s husband’ over ‘Lancer’s Jumper’, he was hardly in a position to talk. “And when we get back, we can have one too.”
“It won’t look like the home they gave us on the Event Horizon, right?” she asked worriedly. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I’m ungrateful. I’m very grateful. It’s just too much metal for me.”
‘Say no more my dear,’ Io assured her with a fond smile. ‘Humans call this the rustic look. Please step into my foyer.’ And so at Io’s insistence, Veera got to play at house for a few hours with only a battery swap needed towards the end of the journey. By the end it was more of a cabin than a house, with Veera preferring the appearance of raw wood and stone to anything invented in the last couple hundred years by human homebuilders. That was fine by him. He hated concrete and stucco. Winters estimated that Io was just as into the whole thing. Without an Event Horizon to take care of she was free to experiment, with various AI-related features like outlets, charging ports, and wireless infrastructure popping up alongside the wooden floors, cushy furniture, and stone fireplace. Fenrir got a large dog bed near the fire for his trouble, but Winters was sure the hyrven had not a clue what was going on. Instead, the Jumper managed to get his alien dog to lay its head in his lap, treating him to ample petting and scritches while the girls entertained themselves, taking advantage of their first block of ‘mandatory’ down time in quite a while. He could only hope that Thantis was having as smooth of a day as they were.
-----
“Oh dear, I appear to be floating. Am I dead?” Thantis wondered with absolutely zero concern whatsoever. During the ride up to the Event Horizon he’d been strapped in tightly to his seat, overseen by Natori Kaczynski himself and cradled by the steady hands of Pilot Cromwell. It was only when he decamped from the vehicle that the low gravity made itself known, his normal Maran footfall sending him several feet into the air. In the moment he reached for his glasses instead of his cane, and Natori knew he had found an alien compatriot.
“If you are dead then we have much bigger problems!” the Admiral replied with a laugh, expertly kicking off the ground and grabbing Thantis’ cane before landing and moving to aid the elderly Cauthan. “As we head deeper into the ship it will feel like being back on your planet, but for now I would recommend minimal effort so as not to float off and bonk your head on something rather stubborn. Can I interest you in a glimpse of your homeworld before we proceed?”
“You certainly may,” Thantis answered as Cromwell floated off to the interior hangar door.
“You two have fun now!” she called over her shoulder.
“Thank you as always, Pilot,” Natori shouted back over the hum of the ship before offering Thantis his arm for stability. “Now then, right this way. And if you don’t mind my asking, I’m sure Alice has questioned you about this already, how does one become a death priest in your village?”
“Hmm, she actually hasn’t gotten around to that yet,” the old Cauthan smiled. “Xan captures her imagination more than I do, but such is to be expected from youth, yes? They seem to be having great fun upending many aspects of our noble and mundane manner of living.”
“That’s one way to describe it,” Natori acknowledged, moving them slowly closer to the open bay their shuttle had just come through. “I would ask that you bring it to my immediate attention if anything she does is… let’s say problematic?”
“I don’t think that would get past my mate in the first place, Natori, but I appreciate your concern. Gentia would very likely be the first among us to point out the positive contributions of a small number of humans to our way of life. Ratha is more stubborn, but she is also in the right. This too, perhaps, is the balance of Kel at work. And to answer your question, it is not as official as the priest of Seil, who is chosen by the people. We believe in the balance of life and death that Kel provides. Just as my curiosity delivered me to my mentor, Xan’s injuries delivered him to me. And by the gods above and below, is that Mara?”
“It is,” Natori confirmed warmly, extending his arm to point to the northeastern area of the continent. “Down there is your village, not on the coast, but near that river formation and a ways inland.”
“I see, so the histories are correct,” Thantis whispered excitedly, reaching out only to have Natori grab his hand gently.
“I would suggest you not touch the forcefield, my friend. Whatever power you believe your god of death possesses, that glowing barrier separates us from Him. It is possessing of commensurate power. I’ve already sent the job over for a translator for you. I hope it fits your ears nicely. Now what histories are you speaking of, if that’s something humans are allowed to know?”
“A personal translator would be an added bonus,” Thantis replied absently, far more absorbed with the planet hanging in the void below. Natori’s personal device was serving just fine as an enabler of conversation for the time being. “I was referring to the history of my people and our flight from civilization.”
Natori cocked his head, hitting a couple buttons on his handheld computer. “Could I trouble you to share the story?”
“I will have to make some corrections when I return to my home,” Thantis mused. “Perhaps you can show me more while we are up here, but it is the story of our love for the gods, a love that drove us into exile.” Natori remained silent, and Thantis took the cue to continue, pointing at the eastern coastline. “The scrolls state that our people used to live on the great salt water. There are scattered accounts of grand buildings, ample metal and wealth, wooden craft to navigate the waters, and other such advances. This was our home, a home where all worshipped the nine gods, Seil, Eiur, Auril, Felen, Kel, Tyrdus, Valta, Meylith, and Uthos. That land, like our village, was ruled by their priests… until it was not.”
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
“I see,” Natori nodded.
“Do you?” Thantis wondered sharply. The Admiral turned his hand over in uncertainty.
“Specifics? Of course not. But human history is replete with individuals who seek to usurp the powers of the gods, or to consolidate that power from the priesthood into a single royal entity. They claim divine right, that their reign is the will of god. Am I too far off?”
“It seems our people share more in common than I’d like to admit,” Thantis acknowledged. “On many subjects our records are distressingly silent, but on one point they are clear. Our people fled under threat of death from a male who claimed to rule with the authority of all nine gods, usurping the priesthood. Thousands fled the city in a night or so the story goes, allowed to pass by the former priest of Uthos. Wilderness, nomadic tribes, disease, and hardship were all that was left for us. But hundreds of years later I am here speaking to you. We have endured… and my mate, the wisest woman I will ever know, claims that the gods have finally come to deliver us from our suffering. Such hopes are the purview of those who serve Meylith, I suppose. I do not dare pray for such transformation. For every action there must be a counter. I know not what the future will bring even as I stand here,” Thantis muttered, losing himself in his own thoughts. Natori exhaled slowly, calming himself as his conscience did its best to convince him that the path he’d chosen was the correct one.
“What happened to that priest?” Natori asked quietly. Thantis turned to him with a sad smile about his drooping jowls.
“Trading relations were not established for many years after our people departed. We will never know for sure, but I have found no account that claims he survived his ‘treason’. We did not foolishly abandon the other gods in favor of the Guardian, but all know we survived only by his hand.”
Natori bowed his head respectfully. “Thank you. With your permission, Thantis, we should be going now. Another time we should speak about preserving your people’s written and oral history. Observe, if you would.” With a few more manipulations, Natori replayed the conversation he’d just had with Thantis. He allowed his own voice to remain for the sake of continuity, and they watched as Thantis’ words were converted into Io’s best estimates of Cauthan runic script as well as English. Though she was not with them, Thantis was quick to pick up her influence.
“This is the work of the moon spirit that guards Russell Winters, yes? Such a marvelous being she is,” he gushed as Natori led them at a leisurely pace away from the hangar exit and towards the interior hallways of the ship.
“She is indeed,” the Admiral agreed, checking on a couple of routine reports. He allowed Thantis’ description of Io to go unchallenged. Inscrutable digital construct was hardly more explanatory or suitable than a spirit from a moon. He wondered if one day he’d ever get to actually look at her code, and even if he did, whether he’d be able to understand any of it. “How are you feeling, Thantis? We should head to the helm of the ship and be on our way. I would be happy to show you around once we’re en route to the mining location.”
“Oh yes, of course. Well I do still feel quite alive as it were. That’s a good sign.”
“Quite good,” Natori agreed with a crook of a smile. He offered Thantis his arm for stability again and led him on a slow, bouncing walk to the other side of the hangar. “No tingling sensations, faster heart rate, discomfort, blurry vision?”
“My vision is quite clear now, and not a moment too soon,” Thantis assured him.
“Then right this way, if you please.” The two men made their way to an elevator near the hangar entrance, the standard method of traveling vertically within the Event Horizon as opposed to the lateral tube network. “You will feel your weight return to you rather quickly, but that’s normal,” the human attempted to describe how the transition might feel. “If you make ready to bend your knees slightly there should be no problem. At least that’s how I think about it.”
“Yes yes that’s very nice but how does this work?” Thantis requested, not caring a lick for the banalities of marginal gravity and instead marveling at every inch of the elevator, from the panel with its wide rectangular buttons, one of which was lit with their destination floor, the second from the bottom. He pointed at a red button. “And why is that one different?”
“Because that will take you to the reactor,” Natori explained as the elevator began to slow. “It’s off limits unless you are someone like me or an individual trained to maintain it. It’s the device that allows us to travel between stars in days instead of lifetimes. I am sorry, but I don’t know how to describe such a thing to someone like yourself. What I can tell you is that there are tiny, light emitting devices behind those buttons there. Think of the lanterns we gave to your guard force, but much smaller. When you select your destination, it lights up to confirm for you that it understands where you want it to go. It can only go up and down.”
“Who pushes it?” Thantis asked, finding himself suddenly feeling as though he were indeed back on Mara, only with smooth metal on the pads of his feet instead of dry dirt or wood. Natori laughed from his belly.
“It moves using something similar to that water wheel you put together. Ah that reminds me, I still need to scold Io and Lieutenant Winters for that in such a manner that makes it clear I’m scolding them only because I have to and not because what they did was wrong. That will have to wait, I suppose. And here we are! Gentlemen,” Natori saluted quickly to the Marine guards who were standing on either side of the entry to the bridge. Thantis looked calmly between them as they looked silently at Natori in turn. “He’s with me.”
Thantis did his best to keep his jaw from dropping as the portal to the bridge opened, but it was a futile effort in the end. Giant panels of moving pictures and diagrams filled one side of the bridge, and many humans sat below them, hard at work concentrating on inscrutable panels, buttons, and smaller screens. One in particular, whose uniform was more decorated than the others, stood from his seat to address Natori. “Welcome back, sir. We have the telemetries calculated and loaded into the ship’s navigation system. Long distance sensor analysis indicates this particular area of the ring should contain the broad classes of compounds we need.”
“Very good, Turnwell. May I introduce you to Thantis while we’re here? He is a spiritual leader of the village with which we are allied, and is their most learned scholar,” Natori explained. Though the first mate was surprised to see another Cauthan on the bridge, Thantis was easily the least threatening one he’d met to that point. If anything, the raptorcat looked positively ecstatic to be there. It was hard to fault such an expression.
“Yes sir. Thantis, welcome to our ship,” the man offered, extending his hand. Thantis, familiar enough with human greetings by that point, shook his hand competently.
“Selah to you. Thank you for your invitation.”
With a curt nod, Turnwell returned to his station, allowing Natori to carry on and lead Thantis to the Admiral’s chair. A spare sat unused next to it, meant for visiting dignitaries or, in the event of fleet action, the captain of the ship. As Natori currently filled the role of both Admiral and Captain, the seat was left vacant for Thantis. The dais was not empty, however, and a quite different alien demanded Natori’s attention. “Admiral Kaczynski, I would request an explanation.”
“Of course, emissary Qul’Roth!” Natori replied as though they were discussing the weather or a similarly mundane topic that definitely didn’t involve escorting a primitive on an asteroid mining expedition. “This is Thantis. He is a member of Antoth’s tribe, their senior priest of Kel, and their foremost scholar. As a gesture of good faith between our peoples, he is here to observe our resource gathering mission to the asteroid belt of this system. According to the lore of his village, we currently inhabit the realm of Kel, the void. I consider it prudent to have such a man along with us!”
Qul’Roth silently stroked his chin tuft in contemplation. His expression did not reveal much, but there was certainly little joy or excitement there. Thantis, however, was buoyant as ever. “Oh, you must be one of those… oh what did he call them?” the elderly Cauthan wondered to himself, tilting his head and scratching at one of his ears. “Space elk! Yes, that was it! I’ve heard so much about your people and none of it good. What a wonderful opportunity to correct this. How do you do? My name is Thantis. How do your people greet one another?”
Qul’Roth snorted indignantly as several on the bridge succumbed to snickering laughter. Natori’s face was a polite mask that hid his surprise at Thantis’ forwardness and his suspicions as to what else Russell Winters might have told the Cauthan about the Ghaelen. Their first meeting on the bridge had not been particularly pleasant. He stepped in. “I am in agreement with Thantis, emissary Qul’Roth. I believe this is a wonderful opportunity for humanity’s allies to learn about one another firsthand.”
Clearing his throat, Qul’Roth bowed to Thantis, earning one in return. “I am Qul’Roth of Ghaela. On behalf of my people I greet you in the hopes that our meeting may further the Order.”
Thantis waited patiently for Natori to translate. “The Order? I would hear more about this, if you don’t mind. It seems rather important to you.”
An ironic smile graced Natori’s face as Qul’Roth seemed genuinely enthusiastic for the first time since setting foot on the Event Horizon. Seating Thantis first and allowing him to get comfortable, the Admiral then gave the order to depart orbit and begin acceleration to inter-planetary cruising speed. Though he remained at the ready to step in between Cauthan and Ghaelen, that proved unnecessary. Thantis was not Veera, nor Russell, nor Antoth. Instead, he proved to be a man eager to learn without passing judgment, even acknowledging that Qul’Roth’s Order had some decent attributes and justifications. So far as Natori could tell, that mainly stemmed from the fact that Thantis could not conceive of a better manner in which an entire planet’s population could be governed. The Admiral continued to listen as Thantis explained his perspective on the needs of the individual versus the needs of the many. He concluded that within the loose guidance of the priests of the village, which was meant to benefit all, the full control of a being imbued with life by Seil and will by Meylith was an affront to the Gods.
“I see,” Qul’Roth replied evenly, earning Natori’s silent approval. So far as the Admiral was concerned it didn’t matter if Qul’Roth honestly respected Thantis’ perspective or was simply humoring the ‘primitive being’. So long as the motivations remained private, it meant the journey would proceed smoothly. “Perhaps one day you may come to see the appeal of our Order and the benefits it can deliver to all lives.”
“I will certainly ruminate on it,” Thantis assured the Ghaelen, finding that his feet just barely didn’t touch the floor of the bridge from where he was seated at Natori’s side. On many of the screens were views of celestial bodies within the Seil system, the star itself, Mara and its moons, and a large ball of swirling colors that he could not adequately describe. “Tell me, Qul’Roth, do you worship a single God from whom your people received this divine Order?”
Natori frowned appreciatively at the question, glancing over at the emissary as the elk-like alien straightened his back and laced his fingers together. “It has been many millennia since my people turned from the darkness of… superstition,” he said in as diplomatic a tone as possible. “The Order derives its ‘divinity’, if you wish to use such a word, from the hearts and minds of every Ghaelen, all working together for our collective safety, advancement, and happiness.”
“You do not have Gods?” Thantis wondered, making sure he’d heard the alien correctly.
“We do not,” came the simple reply.
“I see.” Though Thantis’ reply was not accusatory in any way, Natori could tell well enough that the conversation would not be heading anywhere fruitful from there on out. He spoke up.
“Turnwell, how is our heading?”
“Five by five, Admiral, we should be at the asteroid belt in a few hours.”
“Marvelous work everyone. Turnwell, would you mind taking over while I give our newest guest a tour of the ship and his lodgings?”
“Not a problem, Admiral. I’ll call if anything comes up.”
“Perfect!” Natori exclaimed, standing with purpose and gesturing for Thantis to do the same. “With your permission, I think we should go retrieve your translator, Priest of Kel. Emissary?”
“Mmm, yes of course,” the Ghaelen mumbled before extending a formal parting. “It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Cauthan. Go in service of the Order.”
“Selah to you,” Thantis countered before following Natori off the bridge. He spoke up once they were out of earshot. Qul’Roth had departed the bridge in the other direction. “I believe I understand Russell’s unease with your allies.”
“He’s hardly alone in his misgivings, though everyone has their own opinions on the Ghaelen and our alliance with them,” the Admiral explained as he led Thantis to the nearest tram station.
“Hardly surprising that such a devout individual as Russell might find himself opposed to someone like that diplomat. Now what’s this marvelous, inscrutable contraption?”
Natori was so stunned at the Cauthan’s description of Russell as ‘devout’ that Thantis had to inquire a second time about the tram before receiving an answer. “Ah yes, this is the transportation system I was telling you about earlier. The ship is longer than your village many times over. This will take us from end to end. You can summon one using this panel here, and you can adjust the speed here. As you can see I’ve set it to a slower speed. If it is inoffensive to you, you would press here. That combination of lights and colors indicates full speed.”
“May I walk?” Thantis asked jovially. “Ah, when you are not here to assist me of course. Thank you, by the way. As with Antoth I am sure you have many tasks that occupy you throughout the day, so I appreciate your guidance. Regarding this contraption here, I believe my young apprentice would be more likely to understand it in time than I.”
“I always have time for visiting dignitaries,” Natori smiled. “But you are welcome. You can of course walk anywhere on the ship that is not restricted. I believe the drive core was discussed already. For now though, I would like to show you something.”
That something, following an enjoyable trip through the tubes with Thantis, was one of the smaller manufactories. A combination of molecular printers and mechanical arms for assembly, Natori was pleased to find it in use. He first extended Thantis’ recently completed translator to him. “How is the fit?”
“Quite snug, but it does not seem to be functional,” the Cauthan reported, wiggling his ears slightly and tapping the piece with a claw.
“Allow me,” Natori offered, taking the device back and pressing a small button on the outside. As he held it, a tiny blue LED glowed steadily brighter before fading again. “The stronger the light, the louder it will be.”
Unlike the tram system, a single button was more than enough for Thantis to master, and in a short time he was listening with rapt attention as Natori ran through the process of manufacturing the glasses and lanterns that had been provided to his people. “This is part of our mission that you will accompany us on, replenishing the materials that this facility requires to function.”
“Mmm, this is absolutely marvelous! Were it not for the fact that I have witnessed it directly I would surely consider your people gods themselves!” Thantis chuckled. “I am far less concerned now.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. I thought that perhaps you sought Kel’s metals to hoard or spirit away from whence you came. But instead you intend to forge and craft with them, the purview of Kel’s eldest son, Tyrdus. This evening I will pray for the success of our endeavor. At least… I assume there is evening?”
“The lighting within the ship will mimic a standard day on your planet,” Natori confirmed, sending a quick message to Gerard Dupuis and requesting that the Frenchman come and collect Thantis so that Natori could return to the bridge and the Cauthan would have a familiar escort to his quarters. “Thank you for your blessings, death priest. We are honored by them. So long as we are on the subject of the divine, might I ask what you meant when you called Lieutenant Winters a ‘devout man’?”
Thantis chuckled and glanced around the room. “I am sorry, Natori, but I do not know what to say in reply. Russell is devout the same way you are tall and dark of color. It is simply who he is.”
Kaczynski absorbed the description silently, making a mental note to run that perspective by Dr. Lamont at a later time.
-----
“Lieutenant, Ms. Winters, welcome to the outpost,” Lance Corporal Mendes offered as the two of them, along with a leashed Fenrir, disembarked from the shuttle. Late afternoon sun bathed the forge and the surrounding grasslands, hills, and geothermal areas with warmth and light. While Winters and Mendes saluted as custom, Veera seemed rather confused. Mimicking her in a moment of uncanny intelligence, Fenrir also cocked his head and looked at the Beta Jumper.
“W-who?” she asked politely, remembering Mendes as the most ‘honorable’ of the three men who had fought with her husband. Orlova was waiting nearby, as were Rex and Lipper closer to the camp itself. Wisely, they were waiting for Mendes’ word on how to proceed.
“He means you, Veera,” Russell explained in Cauthan.
“Then why didn’t he use my name?” she wondered, enjoying the feeling of Seil on her face and the soft grasses between her toes.
“Ah, yeah, human convention,” Russell explained, throwing an apologetic look at Mendes as he switched to English for the Corporal’s edification. “Married women often take their husband’s name. It signifies her joining the family, you know? Not sure what kind of paperwork you need for it, but in the spirit of our marriage your full name in human society would be Veera Winters. His use of the word Ms. was to be more formal and polite.”
Though the topic was certainly mundane and the explanation straightforward, Mendes watched as Veera’s face transitioned from curiosity to what he could only assume was abject shock. “Russell Winters!” she yelped. “You’re telling me I’ve had two names all this time? I could be introducing myself to friends all over the village as Veera Winters?”
“Ah… yes?” Russell confirmed, scratching the back of his neck.
“Left that part out, did you?” Mendes wondered cautiously, unsure if he was allowed to interject in such a quarrel.
"You… you!" Veera turned left and right, unsure what to do with herself. Her feathers were a practical riot. “You are setting up the tent alone tonight, and tomorrow night! Maybe the night after, as well!”
Winters inhales deeply, casting a glance at the sky before meeting Veera’s eyes and wondering how he was supposed to convey ‘could you not do this in front of the other Jumpers for the love of Kel?!’ He failed. “Alright dear.”
“Yo, you getting a load of this?” Lipper sniggered, only to receive a swift jab in the kidney. “Bro, the hell was that for?”
“You already got knocked down to Private, Lipp. Do you really want to be the one mocking the Lt. drowning in alien puss puss? Not a good look,” Rex declared, clicking his tongue at his friend.
Lipper managed to clutch at his side and pinch the bridge of his nose at the same time. “You will die a virgin, Rex.”
“If only,” the hulking soldier muttered, watching as the Omega shouldered a large amount of primitive camping gear and made clear his intentions of bunking with his wife and not the crew of the Event Horizon. Mendes seemed to hesitate a moment, but he quickly decided on a course of action and politely demanded Veera’s attention.
“Hmm? You have other business with us?” she asked, as if they needed a reminder that anything he said to her would also be heard by the man who had laid out two of them and had been in the process of taking down a third before Natori arrived.
“This is a bit of a personal request so do feel free to decline, but I was hoping I could sketch you sometime,” Mendes said. As Rex and Lipper watched in open shock, Natalya strode past them, eager for some time with her books.
“Even if he enjoys his art, this request is because the two of you spoiled the vodka,” she reminded them.
“Vodka doesn’t go bad, Natalya,” Lipper countered. She dug the knife in.
“And yet you managed anyway.”
As Lipper stewed in well deserved silence, Rex put an arm around his shoulder. “C’mon man, let the Lance Corporal have the Cauthan. Plenty of room on team Steve.”