by Elin Wyn
Lyra took in a sharp breath. “What happened there?”
Sholan glanced from the panel to the holo-screen and stilled. There was a city coming up fast. Several of its squat buildings in the urban area showed signs of heavy damage. Great black scar marks as if someone had taken a rake and clawed it across the city, toppling buildings and leaving nothing but ash.
“Looks like they were fired on from orbit,” he said grimly. “I’ve seen this before. These were caused by the Thagzar’s claw weapons.”
She turned to him. “They’ve done this to your people as well?”
He nodded. “Usually when they’re trying to make a point. Looks like this planet got lucky—this was a passing blow.”
“A passing—” She stopped and shook her head. “Some of those gouges are kilometers long. All of those poor people...”
“It is terrible,” he agreed, “But it may actually be good news for us.”
She stared at him, shocked. “How can you say that?”
“Because it means they are fighting against the Thagzar, and not with them.”
She fell silent and he pulled the last of the maneuvers needed to get them to a safe landing area.
It seemed the city was in a state of attempting to rebuild. The natives, who appeared to be roughly Eiztar-shaped, but furred and muzzled with floppy ears and large eyes, had built some hasty shelters for the unhoused out of local vegetation.
“Oh wow, they look like dogs,” Lyra said, which didn’t make sense to Sholan. What was a dog? Before he could ask, she pointed to a spot on the holo-screen. “Try to land outside that area here. It looks like an evacuation camp.”
The land itself was flat and clear enough to land, with an open field not far away. He toggled the mini altitude thrusters and sat the pod down in that field.
His landing caused quite the ruckus. By the time he and Lyra opened the main hatch to step out, a crowd had gathered.
Again, Lyra muttered something under her breath about dogs. To his relief, Sholan saw some of his own Eiztar people scattered here and there. That confirmed his suspicions that this was a planet in the alliance.
He opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Lyra beat him to the punch.
“Hi. My name is Lyra Conrarson, and this is Sholan ch’Rhare. We come in peace.”
Lyra
There was a ripple among the crowd of aliens. Actual aliens!
Unlike the Eiztar man standing next to her, these people looked roughly like a dog with big, mastiff-like heads—presumably to hold a larger brain required by a sentient species—and shorter Labrador snouts. They all had large puppy-dog eyes which made them look universally cute.
A big brindle male separated from the rest of the group and strode forward. Lyra noted with detached interest that although they walked upright and wore clothing including foot covering, they had three humanoid fingers and one thumb.
“I’m glad for that good news at least. We could use a little more peace around here,” the brindle said in a very human-like voice. Thank goodness for the alien comm device in her ear. Apparently, it translated these people’s language as well.
He continued, “My name is Ledric, and I am the head of the reconstruction in this area.”
“What happened here?” Sholan asked.
Ledric’s big brown eyes grew even more sorrowful. “The Thagzars attacked our planet. Several cities were razed, including our own. Our planetary defense system finally drove them off, but not before they caused quite a bit of damage.”
“Well, we have that in common,” Sholan said. “Lyra and I were escaping the snakes, too.”
“Snakes,” Ledric said as if testing the word. He nodded to himself with a grim smile that showed sharp canine-like teeth. “Yes, that is an appropriate name for those creatures.” He focused back on Sholan and Lyra. “How may we help?”
“I need to repair our spacecraft.” Sholan gestured back to the pod. “I should have most of what I need on board and can work with your local machinists for the rest, if possible. Would you grant me leave to remain here long enough to accomplish our repairs?”
He sounded very formal, as if asking for a bit of space in this open, empty field was a big favor. Perhaps it was, because Ledric was looking at him as if he were considering saying no.
“I’m sure you have had casualties,” Lyra said quickly, jumping in. “I’m a medic. Perhaps we can trade? If you have a hospital, I will be happy to help where I can, even if it’s just assisting your medical personnel.” She smiled her winningest smile at him.
“No.”
The denial didn’t come from Ledric. It came from Sholan.
She swung around to him. “Excuse me?”
He looked surprised at himself, but then his black eyes seemed to darken even more. “No, I don’t think that is wise. There have clearly been Thagzar battleships within this solar system. If they were to return—”
“Then I take my chances with the rest of the population,” she replied.
“I don’t like it,” he insisted.
“Well, too bad,” she snapped. “This is a good trade.”
“It is not a good trade,” Ledric said gravely, causing both to turn to him in surprise. “The assistance of a medical professional, even one unfamiliar to our species, is worth much more than simple permission to land.” He nodded to himself as if coming to a conclusion. “We will help restock your ship of our own supplies. Then we will be even.”
“Are you sure?” Lyra asked. “I know you’ve just been attacked. Surely, you need supplies more than we do.”
Again, Ledric shook his head. “It is the summer season, a season of plenty. Besides, we are used to weathering disasters.”
Lyra turned to Sholan, triumphant.
He opened and closed his mouth as if looking for an argument, but not quite finding it.
“Fine,” he said. “But please be careful.” Then he touched Lyra’s arm as if in emphasis.
Lyra shivered at the heat of his skin against hers. Sholan was certainly touchy, and normally that would have annoyed her...but she found herself wavering toward him, like an iron filing to a magnet. Quickly, she caught herself and pulled back.
“I’m not exactly untrained,” she said coolly. “I know how to take care of myself.”
Then, ducking back into the pod only long enough to grab her medical bag—despite the rest of the crew’s teasing, she’d always kept a spare in her pod—she walked down the short ramp.
This was the first nonhuman alien planet Lyra had stepped foot on, and as Ledric guided her to the hospital, she looked around with open wonder.
The landscape was fairly earth-like, though the trees were more like giant shrubs. Nothing natural seemed to grow over 20 feet high. The grass was more blue than green, and the sky overhead had a distinctly green tint to it.
She had a feeling this was the tip of the iceberg in regards to their differences. It was utterly fascinating.
Ledric directed her to a young, willowy woman who looked more like a blonde Labrador retriever than anything walking on two legs ought to look. She wore a light green tunic that seemed to be the color of every medical professional she’d seen so far, and looked Lyra up and down with professional curiosity.
“My name is Caisey. Ledric sent me a message ahead. You are some sort of nurse?” She asked
“A field medic,” Lyra confirmed. “Most of my training involves trauma patients and advanced first-aid.”
Caisey barked a laugh. “Well, we have our share of those. Come, I’ll get you started on some of our urgent care cases, and we will see how you do.”
So, Lyra set to work dealing with some walk-in patients who had come seeking assistance with cuts, bumps and breaks. She certainly did not want to prescribe medications until she got a handle on their physiology, but some things were universal.
Her first task was to assist splinting the arm of a young child—puppy? She wasn’t sure — while its concerned mother looked on.
> “It appears to be a simple fracture,” she said soothingly. The adult looked more worried than the child. She glanced down at the boy. “How did it happen?”
“I was playing ball and I tripped on a stick,” he said mournfully. “Everyone laughed at me.”
Lyra smiled in sympathy. “Well, as soon as you’re cast dries you will be able to have all your friends sign their names and draw you pictures.”
He cocked his head. “Pictures?”
“Yes. When I was little, we did that on the world where I used to live. It’s a way for everybody to wish you well.”
“I still don’t understand why the doctors can’t fix the break with a cell regrowth device?” his mother said.
Since she had already asked the same thing at least five times to other medical professionals, Lyra had the answer ready.
“Those machines draw a lot of power and are being reserved for life threatening, and critical care, cases.” She smiled and gave the top of the boy’s head an affectionate rub. He smiled back at her with his tongue lolling out. “Luckily, kids bounce back. He’ll be out of the cast before you know it.”
Doctor Caisey came by shortly after to check Lyra’s work. She nodded in brisk satisfaction at the splint, and sent boy and mother to the next department to get fitted for the cast.
“I heard some of that. You handled her quite well,” Caisey said, “That was neatly done work on the stitches you gave the previous patient, as well. I’m glad to see you did not oversell your abilities.”
Lyra smiled ruefully. “The jump service has a very thorough training program for its medics. I only wish I was able to help more—I heard you had a case of food poisoning.”
Caisey sighed in exasperation. “Yes, and it was fully preventable. His refrigeration unit went down and he decided to eat what was left before it went bad—not knowing it already had.”
“Sounds like our peoples are not unalike.”
“I think so, too.” Caisey regarded her for a moment. “I currently have an opening among my staff. You would be very welcome to apprentice here, if you would like.”
Lyra just stared, too stunned with the good fortune to speak.
Caisey cocked her head which had the effect of making her look even more like a curious Labrador. “I’m sorry. Have I offered you some offense within your species?”
“No,” she said at once. “It’s just... it is an extremely generous offer. I want to take you up on it, but I have other commitments.” Like a critical bio-toxin, not to mention serving out the rest of her time with the jump service. “I will have to think about it.”
“That is more than fair.” The doctor touched Lyra’s head, which seemed to be the equivalent of a friendly hello and goodbye among these people. Then, turning, she walked away to attend to other patients.
Lyra took a moment to sit by herself and process the offer.
The end of her tenure with the service was coming up. As much as she admired her Captain and enjoyed being a part of the crew... space exploration wasn’t doing it for her anymore. She had already been batting around the idea of not re-upping her enlistment. Her service record was impeccable. The jump service should have no complaints about the time she had already served.
At the same time, Lyra loved being a medic, despite all the dangers she faced in space. To her surprise, she found she was cool and competent in the face of danger. It was a valuable thing to discover about herself.
But this unique opportunity to learn about a new race of aliens on an alien planet... it was amazing. Furthermore, it could be the jumping off point for an entirely new career.
So why was she hesitating?
Almost against her will, her thoughts flashed to Sholan. His liquid dark eyes, and the way her arms had felt when he had caught her.
Immediately, she shoved that memory away. No, this had nothing to do with that aggravating man.
Yes, he was good looking, but he was much too brash and argumentative. And what had he been trying to pull with that overprotective crap back at the pod?
As a mission teammate, Sholan needed to stand back and trust her to do what she did best: Help people.
Even if these people all looked like friendly dogs.
“Excuse me?” asked a shy voice nearby.
She turned to see a green-clad man standing a few feet away. He had a patch on his shoulder which indicated he was a nurse. A new one, if his open nervousness was anything to go by.
“I’m sorry to bother you,” he continued, “We just had a new bunch of patients come in.” He paused. “Unless you were on your break?”
Lyra forced a smile. That’s what she liked about these people: They were almost scrupulously polite of personal boundaries. Very different from earth-type dogs.
“No, of course I’ll help.” She rose from her seat. “Please, lead the way.”
She was on her second patient within the group and had just sent a nurse for supplies to finish stitching up a wounded knee, when a wave of dizziness overtook her.
Lyra staggered in place, throwing out a hand to catch herself before she fell. Luckily, the nurse was still nearby and was able to grip her elbow.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
“I... yes. I think so.” She blinked and tried to shake the vertigo away. It lingered along with a new wave of lightheadedness.
There was no way she could finish stitching up the wound like this. “I’m sorry,” she said to the nurse and the patient. “I’m afraid I need to sit down.”
The nurse nodded briskly. “Yes, please do. I will finish up the last of the stitches—I was watching what you were doing and will come to you with any questions.”
She nodded and rattled off a couple of quick instructions to the patient to keep the wound clean and to check back in a few days so they could monitor the progress of the stitches. They may be aliens, but some practices were universal.
Then, staggering down the hall, she found a free seat and sat down, her head in her hands. The dizziness abated somewhat, but she still felt unsettled.
Had she caught something from the hospital? It didn’t seem likely. These people’s baseline temperatures ran several degrees above her own. Not to mention their blood was a purplish color, which indicated they had a different chemical composition from her own. It would be hard for native bacteria or viruses to bridge that sort of gap.
Still...
Turning to her medical bag which she kept at her side at all times, Lyra pulled out a thermometer that had a basic built-in blood scanner.
She pressed the device to her forehead and, after the beep, read the results.
Normal human temperature, so she wasn’t running a fever. But goodness, her hormone levels were completely out of whack. That was unusual. There was no way she could be pregnant.
Frowning, Lyra made a note to visit a gynecologist once they found their way back to human space.
Thinking about finding a human settlement again made her think of home, which weirdly, was enough to make her think about the pod.
Her irritation with Sholan had evaporated.
Now, she wanted to see how he was getting along in his repairs.
Had he found the natives as friendly as she had?
Was he having any trouble fixing the ship?
Replacing the thermometer back in her med pack, Lyra rose and went on a search for the doctor. She found her going over some paperwork with a nurse: Yet another thing which seemed to be universal.
“Lyra, I heard you had taken ill,” Caisey said. “Are you well?”
She smiled. “Just a little tired, I think. It’s been... an exciting few days.”
“Well, things seem to be calming down here for the evening,” Caisey replied. “You have done good work tonight. If you can find time tomorrow, I’m certain we can use you again.”
“Thank you, I’m not sure what the status of our ship repairs are, but I’ll check in if I can.”
She left the hospital, a smile curving her lips. It w
as nice to be needed.
Perhaps it was the exercise, the clean evening air, or the satisfaction of a job well done, but by the time the pod came into view, Lyra already felt better.
Sholan
“It’s going to take how long to get the extra parts?” Sholan demanded, shocked.
The local mechanic he was haggling with shrugged and scratched behind his ear. “For delivery here? Nine, maybe ten days,” he replied in an unhurried drawl. “We’re not exactly the center of the galaxy. And,” he shrugged again and gestured to the distant city. Some of the buildings trailed smoke in the evening air. “We have our own problems.”
Sholan gritted his teeth. “I can’t wait that long.” There was no telling how long the bio-toxin would remain viable, even in status. Yes, there were other teams, but after the Thagzar attack he had to assume the worst.
If everyone else had been killed, taken prisoner…He had to get the sample he’d been entrusted with to the lab as soon as possible.
Sholan tried again. “I can pay more—”
“It’s not a matter of payment,” he replied, for the first time seeming a little affronted. As if Sholan had just besmirched his honor. “It’s a matter of logistics.”
Sholan swore under his breath, but then got another idea. “Give me a minute...”
He went back over the pod engine with the mechanic.
“If we only replaced, this…”
“And then re-routed the power from here…”
“Then maybe we’d only need these parts, right?” Sholan asked.
The mechanic glanced at the engine, scratched the back of one floppy ear again, and nodded. “Yeah, that’d be possible. A little risky on your end, but should make it re-flyable. And I can get those parts ready in just a few days. Maybe even tomorrow.”
Sholan did some quick calculations, checking the pod’s damage with the other repairs he could more easily make. Yeah. That could work. “Done.”
“Problems?” asked a feminine voice.
Sholan turned to see Lyra entering the pod via the front hatch door. The second he laid eyes on her, it was as if he breathed a gust of fresh air. The last of his irritation flew out the window.