Displaced

by Drake,Stephen

  “And what happens when he escapes?” Murdock asked.

  “If he does, then his life is forfeit,” Mei Lee stated. “He would have had his second chance. There’s no need to give him another.”

  “Let me make sure I understand you,” Murdock said in disbelief. “You’re willing to put everyone at risk because you’re afraid of executing Whittier?”

  “I’m not saying that,” Mei Lee retorted. “I’m saying that since we haven’t had any hard evidence as to what particular crimes he has committed that are worthy of execution, he shouldn’t be executed simply because we don’t like him!”

  The colonists all nodding and murmuring agreement with Mei Lee.

  “I don’t agree,” Murdock stated.

  “I don’t either,” Rose said, “but, as you say, we have no hard evidence.”

  “Anyone else have anything to say?” Mei Lee asked as she looked over the crowd. No one spoke up.

  “Mister Murdock, remove the prisoner’s gag, please,” Mei Lee asked.

  Murdock complied.

  “Do you agree to do as you are told and not make any more trouble?” Mei Lee asked Whittier.

  “I don’t recognize your authority to overrule the duly empowered leader of the colony,” Whittier said with derision.

  The entire colony lurched forward as one, issuing a low growl.

  “You seem to be of the opinion that this is a negotiation,” Mei Lee asserted sternly. “It’s not!”

  “What about Krysia?” Whittier asked.

  “She can do as she pleases, as long as she behaves and follows the rules,” Mei Lee said.

  “Can I have some time to think about it?” Whittier asked. “I need to consider my options.”

  “Is the pod emptied?” Mei Lee asked. A few of the colonists nodded.

  “Put him back inside the pod to consider,” Mei Lee commanded Murdock. “Rose, release Krysia, if you would, please.”

  “If you escape, you’ll deal with me,” Murdock warned Whittier in a low voice as they returned to the pod. In a voice dripping with venom, he continued, “I’m kind of hoping you do escape. If you hurt anyone else, I’ll deal with you in my own way, and no one will stop me.”

  His face expressionless, Whittier said nothing as Murdock unbound the prisoner’s hands. Whittier calmly walked up the ramp into the pod. After Rose had released Krysia, Krysia ran past Murdock and into the pod with Whittier. When both prisoners were inside, Murdock closed and braced the ramp, then joined Rose, who was talking to Mei Lee.

  “I don’t like the situation any better than you do,” Mei Lee was saying as Murdock walked up. “Like me, the rest want to give him another chance to make things right.”

  “You do know you can’t trust him?” Murdock asked.

  “Oh, believe me, I know,” Mei Lee asserted. “Personally, I wouldn’t trust him any farther than Murdock could throw him! I believe he could be trusted, maybe, about a week after he was buried. And I’m not even certain about that.”

  “I won’t feel safe as long as he is allowed to walk around,” Rose said. She sidled toward Murdock, who automatically put his arm around her.

  “Your objections are noted,” Mei Lee said. “Now to other matters; what can we give you for a couple of your spears? The colony needs weapons, and those would be the easiest to use as they require a much lower skill level to be effective.”

  Murdock looked to Rose, who looked back, both surprised.

  “We didn’t come here to trade,” Murdock said.

  “I know you didn’t,” Mei Lee said. “You did what you had to do, and because of it, you’ve delayed your hunt. You’ve fed this colony, quite well, I might add, and gotten us started on some shelter. Surely, there’s something we can do to help repay our debt?”

  “Well, we could use a few of the dishes,” Rose said sheepishly. “Until we figure out how to work clay and fire it, we have nothing.” She looked at Murdock and added, “Not that I’m complaining.”

  “I’m sure we can figure something out,” Mei Lee said to Rose with a good-natured laugh. “What about you, Murdock?”

  “Kevin, please,” Murdock said. “You don’t owe me anything.” Murdock paused, thinking. Then he continued, “I don’t know how to accomplish it, but the colony, and we, could benefit from a cart to haul deer or fish or wood.”

  “Hmm, yes, I see where that would come in handy,” Mei Lee agreed. “Let me ask around and see what we can come up with, Mur . . . Kevin,” Mei Lee grinned uncomfortably. “But is there anything that would help now?”

  “I can’t think of a lot of things we would need, but it would be nice to be able to borrow tools, if we need to,” Murdock said.

  “I give you my solemn promise that as long as I’m in authority, you can borrow anything you need,” Mei Lee assured them. “Yes, this colony owes the two of you a debt. One that we need to repay, even if the others believe they don’t owe one.”

  They returned to Mei Lee’s tent while they talked, then sat by the fire.

  “It would help more to send a couple of men with me to hunt deer,” Murdock said once seated. “That would be worth three spears to me.”

  “I’ll see who is available to help,” Mei Lee said with enthusiasm. “It would help us out, too. Then we’d have some people who’d know how to hunt deer. I’m not sure what skills the others possess, but we all need to be taught how to live out here.” Mei Lee blushed. “I was hoping you and Rose could teach us, but I didn’t want to impose. Thankfully, your suggestion opened the door for me to ask.”

  “Well, if they go, they can keep one deer, and we keep the other,” Murdock said. “Yes, all of you need to know how to survive out here. I’m still learning the specifics for this planet, but I do have the basic required knowledge.”

  “All you had to do was ask,” Rose assured Mei Lee, patting the top of the other woman’s hand. “I don’t know much, but you’re welcome to what I do know.”

  Murdock had picked up a stick to poke at the fire. Rose knew that whenever her husband did that, he was thinking about something important. But just then, a colonist approached with clothes for Rose and Mei Lee, startling them. Mei Lee ducked inside her tent and put on pants, shoes, and a shirt, then put Collier’s shirt on last.

  “You can change in there, if you want,” Mei Lee offered to Rose.

  Rose looked at her clothes. They still had her blood on them. She started to cry quietly. Both Murdock and Mei Lee came to her.

  “What’s wrong?” Murdock asked his concern evident.

  “Nothing,” Rose blubbered. “I just realized that I’m not the same person who wore these clothes. I wouldn’t feel right in them. I know it’s silly!”

  “Not silly at all,” Mei Lee said, gently rubbing Rose’s shoulder. “I would be surprised if you did put them on. What you wear now suits you much better!”

  “Those are the clothes of a victim, and you’re no longer a victim,” Murdock asserted.

  #

  Once the ramp closed, only minimal light came on inside. Whittier had previously tried, unsuccessfully, to figure out how turn all the lights off. He did know, however, that once the ramp was closed, no one could hear anything said inside. I know Krysia is in here with me, he thought. I can smell her fear. Good. She needs to be afraid. She was attracted to my power and now it’s gone. Now, she’s lost.

  “What are we going to do?” Krysia asked in a panicked voice.

  “What do you mean, we?” Whittier asked coldly. “You’re here because you choose to be. I’m not.”

  “I’m in this with you, Jim,” Krysia said. Whittier didn’t have to see her to know she was about to lose it.

  “Good for you,” Whittier said sarcastically. “Now, shut up and let me think!”

  She did as instructed, which relieved Whittier. This is a big mess and I need to figure a way out, if I’m to survive, he thought. Murdock, obviously, still has a lot of animus toward me and will kill me as soon as I leave the immediate area of the pod. So, runni
ng is not an option. My tack of trying to convince the others that the situation here was not real was a bust as well. After some time, he turned toward Krysia.

  “Can I trust you, or are you going to turn against me like Metzger and Burns did?” he asked.

  “You can always count on me,” Krysia said with conviction.

  “Something tells me that we’re the only friends each other is likely to have,” Whittier said. It doesn’t matter what she says, he thought. My training has been too complete to trust anyone other than myself.

  #

  Mei Lee had gotten up and went around to the other colonists.

  “When did you want to go on the hunt?” Rose asked Murdock. She wasn’t about to leave her old clothes, so she had busied herself with securing them for transport. The time might come when she’d need them. She laughed to herself. Murdock had taught her not to waste resources, and she had learned. “Personally, I wish we were leaving now. It may sound silly, but I miss home. We both could use a bath.” Murdock continued to poke at the fire.

  “What’s bothering you?” Rose murmured.

  “Nothing.” Murdock spoke more to the flames than to Rose. “No one here can help me. I’m hoping,” Murdock paused to look furtively around, “that Beron,” he said softly, “ will be able to help. I’m not a very sociable person.”

  “No! Really?” Rose asked facetiously. “I am so shocked! I never would have guessed!”

  Murdock couldn’t help but smile. “I’m going against all I know on this hunt,” he continued. “I’m comfortable with one other person, but I’m not sure this is a good idea.”

  “Do we have a choice?” Rose asked seriously. “We need to take a deer, and we need help dragging it back home.”

  “You and I can drag it home. They’re not going to know where we live,” Murdock vowed. “Hopefully, they can figure out a cart of some kind. It would be a big help for us.”

  “Have you thought of where to go for the hunt?” Rose asked.

  “Toward the river,” Murdock said. “I don’t want them knowing any more about our area than they already do, and I don’t want them to know anything about our hideaway.”

  “Not even Mei Lee?” Rose asked. “She could sure use the experience.”

  “What do you mean?” Murdock asked, looking at her.

  “Since we found our hideaway, I’ve noticed that you’re more relaxed, and so am I. Also, I have healed faster. I don’t know why — it just is. And I think Mei Lee could use some of that healing.”

  “Healing?” Murdock asked. “Emotional healing?”

  “Yes. Most of the time, it takes longer to heal emotionally than physically,” Rose explained.

  “I just don’t think it would be a good idea to let anyone know where we live or what our relationship is,” Murdock argued.

  “Understood,” Rose said. “I was just thinking out loud.” I have to admit that Kevin’s concerns are not misplaced, she thought. “It just breaks my heart,” Rose finished, nodding toward the pod.

  #

  Murdock caught her gesture as he heard Mei Lee approaching. He knew that Rose keenly felt Mei Lee’s loss.

  “I have some good news,” Mei Lee said as she came up to the pair. “I asked around, and some others would like to join you on the hunt whenever you’re ready. Some others are putting their heads together about the cart.”

  As Mei Lee sat down at the fire, Murdock saw that she was armed. Looking around, he saw that everyone else was armed as well.

  “Expecting trouble?” Murdock asked, glancing at Mei Lee’s weapons.

  “No. We’ve noticed that you and Rose are always armed, and we think it’s a good idea to be prepared,” Mei Lee said, shrugging. “What do you think we should do with the extra weapons?”

  “Rose and I use our knives for most everything,” Murdock explained. “But there are times that we aren’t armed. I wasn’t aware there was such a thing as extra weapons.”

  “I feel less of a victim with a knife on my hip,” Mei Lee said, touching the knife hilt. “Some of the others feel the same way. I see what you mean about extra weapons; it was a bad choice of words. Currently unused might be better.”

  Murdock thought about it. “I’d rotate them,” he said. “Assign someone to sharpen and maintain them and rotate them out with the rest. Everyone needs to know how to sharpen a knife. And you could use an armorer, but that can wait until you have a secured compound.”

  “A secured compound?” Mei Lee asked.

  “An area that would allow you enough time to gather weapons if defense was necessary,” Murdock said.

  “I know what it is,” Mei Lee said. “I was asking how you would secure this compound.”

  “Well, to me, the more secure it is, the longer you’ll have to get ready to defend it,” Murdock said. “Enclosing the underside of the pod will work for now, but you need to think about expansion. If it were me, I would build individual housing in a circle around the pod, with a wall between the buildings until the underside is enclosed. That would be more secure.”

  “How do you build a privy?” she asked after Murdock’s explanation.

  “It would depend on how long you’re planning to use it,” Murdock said. “It’s basically a deep hole in the ground. If it’s permanent, then the hole should be deeper. Then you build a small building atop it. The building on top is tippable, and maintaining one means periodically refilling the hole. When it’s filled, you dig another one somewhere else.”

  “That sounds like a perfect first project for Whittier!” Mei Lee said with a touch of excitement.

  Both Murdock and Rose laughed. Mei Lee chuckled as well and Murdock noted he had never heard her chuckle before.

  Murdock untied three of the spears he had made and gave them to Mei Lee. He then kissed Rose and after telling her where he was going, went back to retrieve the travois.

  Shortly after crossing the stream, Murdock became aware of Beron’s presence.

  “Are you here?” Murdock asked aloud as he walked. An affirmative response flashed in his mind. “How is it Rose can communicate with the Oomah better than I can?” Murdock asked. “She also seems able to communicate with me the same way you and I do.”

  “Both (you and mate) learning! Patience! It will come/be revealed!” Beron flashed, which confirmed Murdock’s suspicions.

  “Are you aware of what’s going on with the others around the pod?” Murdock asked. He received an affirmative response. By this time, Murdock had reached the travois and began dragging it toward the pod.

  “Why that way?” Beron flashed.

  “This is the only way I know,” Murdock said. He didn’t know how he knew what Beron meant; he just knew. Then the travois moved on its own. Murdock jumped a little and turned to see the travois floating just off the ground. “How are you doing that?” he asked in disbelief. Murdock immediately received images of the sharing position. But this confused Murdock. Then images showed himself and Rose getting out of their tub. Murdock took this as relax. He then received images of the major sharing and saw himself floating with Rose.

  “Relax and concentrate,” the Rose in his mind told him in Rose’s voice. “Your physical body is not floating. Your astral body is. Let your astral body lift the travois.”

  “Is that you, Rose?” Murdock asked aloud.

  “Of course it is,” she flashed. “I’m sitting here with Mei Lee.”

  “How are you doing this?” Murdock flashed to Rose.

  “I’m doing nothing unusual,” Rose said telepathically. “Beron contacted me when he was having difficulty with you. I seem to be more of an adept than you, and he seems to be performing as a thought amplifier. I’m just acting as an interpreter for Beron. He could tell you were troubled and wanted to help, if he could.”

  Murdock looked at the travois. Its end remained on the ground, and he felt the weight of it. His eyes half closed as he concentrated. The back of the travois then floated and was lighter. He headed toward the pod.

/>   “You . . .” The thought from Beron broke Murdock’s concentration, and the travois fell to the ground. Murdock understood that Beron was disappointed. “Practice!” came to Murdock’s mind.

  Murdock was surprised that he moved it at all. He had a hunch that Beron had more than a little something to do with the success, but Murdock wasn’t sure.

  “The people of the pod need to hunt deer. Do you know where they are?” Murdock asked Beron.

  “Clear your mind and use your astral senses.” The thought came from Beron via Rose.

  As he dragged the travois toward the pod, Murdock tried to do as instructed. Was that deer grazing by the river, he thought. But that is on the other side of the pod. I could be imagining it all, too. Beron or Rose could have something to do with it. As he neared the fording point at his side of the stream, he neither saw nor heard anyone around. He took a few deep breaths to help calm himself and then concentrated. As he forded the stream, the travois lightened until it was on the other side. It feels like Beron is not as close as he was a few minutes ago, he thought.

  As Murdock’s feet touched the bank on the pod side of the stream, Beron’s presence cut off. Then Murdock realized that he had not seen Beron at all. He hadn’t gone far toward the pod when someone came to help drag the travois.

  “Thanks for the help,” Murdock said as they entered the pod area. “How did you know I needed it?”

  “Your wife sent me,” the man said. “She told me approximately where you were and said you could use a hand.”

  They both dropped the travois outside Mei Lee’s tent, not far from the fire.

  “Thanks again for your help!” Murdock yelled after the man, who had returned to his own business.

  “Who was that?” Rose asked.

  “I have no idea!” Murdock said. “You don’t know?” he asked her telepathically. He wasn’t sure whether any of it was real.

  “How would I know? I saw you coming, and you looked like you could use some help, so I sent some,” the thoughts flashed through his mind and he knew they were from Rose. Murdock stared at Rose, dumbstruck. Rose turned away from him. “Don’t stare like that, Kevin. It isn’t polite,” she flashed. “Besides, you’re embarrassing me.”