by S M Matthews
Cora interrupts my thoughts, “So what are you going to tell your customers?” Her voice is so acidic I’m surprised the deck isn’t melting. My ears droop on their own and I have to make a conscious effort to prick them back up again. I shake out my mane and do my best to look indifferent. As much as I don’t like having her anger or irritation directed at me, it fills me with respect for her. I don’t think she’d ever back down from anything.
This is new territory for us, we are not used to thinking about someone else before we think of ourselves. It’s a bit uncomfortable, actually wanting to make someone else happy. Is this what all mated males feel like?
I mean, she hasn’t even shown any interest-
“Helllooooo. Earth to Neb are you reading me?”
Right, yes, she asked me something. Is she doing something that’s affecting my ability to think straight? Maybe I should ask Lam to check me over in medical later. I mean it is possible, the smell is amazi-
“Neb! What is up with you today?” She waves her hand in front of my face. “Are you having a stroke or something?”
“Well actually, if you’re offering I’d like to stroke-”
“Stop right there.” She holds up one hand, palm flat. I can’t help the grin. “We have bigger fish to fry before you start that again. What are you going to tell your customers?”
“Bigger fish to fry. I really like that one, it sounds like something we’d say anyway. I am definitely going to start using that.” She huffs and rolls her eyes, but I can clearly see that she’s trying to cover a smile, and she looks away.
“Honestly I wasn’t going to say much,” I can see the frown forming. I didn’t think she’d like that.
“You could give a little hint though right? And you could have a little chat with your customers, and if anyone doesn’t seem very nice you could put them off a bit. Make out that we would be really hard work or something. Tell them we chew the furniture when we get bored.”
I think about it for a moment, looking at all the others in the cage.
“They all smell really appealing, I don’t know how easy it will be to discourage a buyer if he picks up on a scent that he likes…and I can’t actively lie. They will smell that straight away.”
“What do you mean ‘actively lie’? How are you going to get around the green flappy alien thing then if someone asks where you got them from.”
I dip my ears, “If someone asks where they are from, I’ll tell them I got them from a passing trader that I don’t know a lot about. None of that is technically a lie.”
“So you’re saying that omitting the truth is not the same as bare faced lies?” One of her face manes has gone up, but only one. That can be good or bad, but she’s also crossed her arms, so it’s probably bad. It takes a moment for the smell to catch up. Yeah, that has annoyed her for some reason. I nod anyway, it is the truth.
She rubs at the bridge of her nose, then looks back up at me.
“So you could say that we woke up and showed signs of being maybe a little intelligent? Not enough that they will get suspicious, but enough of a hint to get them thinking about us as more than…inanimate objects?”
I huff, “Yes, okay, if it will make you happy, I will drop as many ‘hints’ as I think I can get away with.”
She smiles at me…and it’s radiant. And makes me feel a bit funny. I really should go and see Lam. It also makes me wonder…why is she so invested in this?
“Cora…do you know these people?” I’d never even considered it to be a possibility that she would.
She face frowns with those two little manes, “No, why?”
“I just…if we were in each other’s places, I’m not so sure I’d be as concerned as you are. It’s…really nice of you. I mean, I don’t know how pack bonds work for you. Would any human be this concerned about strangers?”
She takes a really big breath and lets it out slowly, “Honestly? No, probably not. I mean a lot of people are really nice, but pretty equally some people are just arseholes, you know?” I nod. And grin. Humans have the best words. “I just…they are all asleep, all helpless. They are all in a shitty situation, who knows what some of them might have lost? If I can make any of this any better for them, I just feel like I should. No one else is going to.”
I don’t think she actually intended that last part as an insult, but I feel it keenly. I’m not used to being worried about other people’s opinions of us. Well, as long as their opinions won’t directly affect our sales.
If we hadn’t had the smell driving us, we wouldn’t have woken Cora. We’d have sold her along with all of the others, and we’d have been pretty indifferent about doing so. That would mean we would never have got to meet her. I don’t like that thought.
The smell is still really appealing…almost overwhelming this close. If we hadn’t singled out Cora’s and woken her, I’d probably be in there now, sniffing at them. But with Cora next to me, and awake…that’s the one I want. The only one I want. If someone comes along and catches the smell, there won’t be any deterring them.
I’m an idiot. “I can cover the smell, temporarily. Then at least if they buy them it’s because they want one and not because they can smell…” I gesture vaguely at the sleeping humans, “this. It’ll go when they shower, or wear off as they move around and it disperses.” Usually the spray is used in emergencies, when something is so pungent as to be unbearable to us.
“That’s great if you can do that…do we really smell that good?”
I nod. How do I even begin to explain it?
“What do I smell like then? Like, specifically?”
“I’ll explain it as best I can but…you have to think of it more of being the feeling that comes with the smell, not exactly the smell itself.” She nods, then moves to sit on a box so she can pull her feet up. “So…when we were younger our parents took us to visit someone because they had a new home. Family friend I think, I don’t remember the details; Lam might, he’s older. Anyway, the place smelt like money. It smelt like success. Everything in there was new, the whole place was just decorated…absolutely everything about it was fancy.” I snort at the memory, “I do remember when we were leaving mom muttering about them being ‘show-offs’, and that’s a very harsh assessment coming from her. It just smelt like they'd made it. Totally made it. So it’s not about the smell of the house exactly, it’s feeling like…we’d won, I guess. The smell sort of represents the feeling of contentment. Contentment because you know you have everything you could ever want.”
She’s rubbing at the bridge of her nose…but then she snorts laughter.
“So you’re telling me I smell like financial security? Is that what you’re saying?”
I grin at her, “Well, the place had just been completely redecorated, so also very strongly of new carpet.” She laughs so hard she has to wipe the tears away. She’s gone a bit red in the face. Every time I think she’s going to stop, another laugh bubbles out.
When she finally gets herself under control she says breathlessly, “Holy shit, with chat up lines like that, how are you guys still single?”
LAM
I’m sitting in the pilot’s chairs with Cora. We are watching the holding bay from here. She’s said again and again that she doesn’t like this; and it is understandable, but as much as I sympathise…they have to go. She’s glued to the screen like she will be able to remember what every single buyer looks like. Her arms folded on the console, leaning as far forward in the chair as she can without sliding off it. She is the picture of concentration. I am sympathetic to her situation…but realistically there’s not a lot else we can do about it. When people find out we’d traded with Ta’Naw…well, it might be bad for business. At least for a while.
Hopefully people will forget pretty fast when they want something that we have.
Cora is looking for some way to have control over this. Something to give her some sense that she’s doing something for them.
We sit and watch the intera
ctions, the humans, one by one, are being sold off. Some come to browse. Someone comes in and after a brief glance points to one of the humans. Neb and the buyer stand together for a few minutes, and then Neb retrieves the one the buyer picked and hands her over. She has a ridiculous fluffy red mane. Not like Cora’s short and practical black one.
Cora had insisted on putting blankets on all of them during the journey, for their dignity, even if they were completely oblivious to it, they’ve all been removed now though.
“So they can inspect the products?” Cora had had asked with so much disgust in her voice none of us had been brave enough to answer her.
“Something's up,” she says, drawing my attention to the vid feed. I see she’s right, Ceph is jogging across the bay. I turn and wait for him, I assume he’s heading this way.
“We have a problem!” Ceph shouts along the hall as he practically runs along, skidding a little to stop next to my chair. “We need you to come and fit a translator in another one. Right now. This male knows-” He stops himself, “Neb wants to get rid of this buyer before he starts drawing attention to us.”
I can hear and smell the urgency so I start moving to medical before asking Ceph why I’m doing this; no one should know about this. Cora gets up and tries to follow us, “Cora, please, just stay there where you’ll be safe. I’ll fit the translator and I’ll be right back.”
She lets out a frustrated sigh and throws herself back into the chair. “What does he know?!” She shouts after us as we are leaving.
We can’t have just anyone seeing her making conversation, I think to myself as I follow Ceph to medical.
Again, I ask Ceph why I am doing this.
“There’s an old male down there, and he knows exactly what they are. He says if we give him the language and fit a translator, he will keep it to himself and be on his way.”
“But how does he know?”
“Ceph shrugs whilst I scrabble around medical gathering the few bits that I need.
“He’s not exactly volunteering any information. Neb’s right, we just need to get rid of him and hope he keeps his fangs locked about it.”
“I just don’t like it,” not that anyone can do anything about it. It just doesn’t make any sense. We head down to the hold and I follow Ceph, jogging across the space. Neb is already leaning next to the control panel, the hold door sliding across.
I hear a noise behind me, and my ears turn reflexively to track it; Cora has followed us.
Of course she has. I roll my eyes. Clever girl is far enough away that I didn’t smell her. I turn to look quickly, but I can’t see her. If anyone saw her come down the stairs, they haven't shown any sign of it. Hopefully she stays hidden, there’s plenty to hide behind.
I note that the male is waiting patiently next to his purchase, and that he is a much older male. His fur now a very faded grey, and he’s alone. Not unheard of…but I would call it unusual in this situation. I’d want my brothers with me if I was going to be making demands like this.
I set to work quickly, having done this once successfully with Cora I feel confident in doing it with this one still sleeping. Well, I tell myself that, I’m also not giving myself any choice; I am certainly not waking her. Hopefully he’s fairly long gone before the stasis wares off.
She’s already been loaded onto a powered pallet for transport; I see it’s one of ours. Usually we use them for moving heavier stock around the bay, but I assume the old one doesn’t want to carry her. There’s a blanket over her.
I roll her gently so she is more on her side, pushing the mass of light coloured mane out of the way.
“If that doesn’t work, I’ll spread the word. I am sure people will be very interested in where you got them from.” Interestingly enough…I’m not entirely sure he means what he’s just said.
I sigh, “It’ll work just fine.”
He lets out a chuffing laugh, “Already had some practice have you?”
I scowl, but can’t look away from what I’m doing, lining up the translator to what I see on my scanner takes some concentration. I try and think. People are going to find out where we got them from eventually anyway, but I don’t want to risk that he will start shouting about it right now.
We still have a few to sell, and it’s unlikely people will buy them if they know where they’ve been.
“And how do you know where we got them from?” Neb asks the stranger.
He stands quietly for a moment, then slowly shakes his head. “You won’t want to believe this, but you’re going to have to trust me. It’s safer for you if you don’t know.”
“Oh don’t pretend you’re doing us a kindness.” Neb snaps at him.
I’ve fitted the translator, and I roll her back to how she was, adjusting the cover. I’m the closest to him, and I take a moment to smell…and think. Either he is telling the truth, or he really believes he is right. I nod at Neb. The old one openly watching the exchange.
Neb shrugs, “Fine, go then. I don’t want to hear from you again.” Neb’s voice is full of irritation, and helpless frustration.
“Wait, hold on,” rings across the bay, and the three of us sigh. Great. Cora pops up from her hiding place. “You can’t just let him leave! He knows something! What if he can take us home!”
She approaches, and the stranger asks me “What did she say?” He has the file, but we haven't registered his translator. He will have to update that himself.
I gesture helplessly, “She just want to know if you know anything helpful. She just wants to go home.”
He looks Cora over with interest as she approaches and then stands with us. She looks so hopeful, but that soon fades as he speaks to her. He shakes his head. “I’m sorry, the Ta’Naw know where you’re from obviously…but no one is in any position to do anything about that. If what I believe is right then…at some point during the war, your home location was completely struck from our records. And that is if we ever knew it to begin with. The only ones with the power to intervene most certainly won’t, and I really need you to believe me when I say this; do not draw attention to yourselves. I did not realise when I was a young, naïve student but…knowing things can be bad for your health. I shouldn’t be doing this but…I never ever thought I’d get to actually see a human for myself.” He smiles at Cora kindly, almost indulgently. “To actually see humans…and to get to have conversation with one. You are history come to life…like meeting a myth. Just please…keep to yourselves. If you need any more of a warning, check the Pack Records for accidental deaths.”
Leaving us with that cryptic instruction, he moves towards the door, guiding his purchase after him. Neb obliges and opens the door.
He truly believes what he is saying…what in the Void have we gotten ourselves into?
CORA
Obviously, as soon as Old Man Conspiracy Theory was out the door, I wanted to check whatever the Pack Records are. Lam agrees, I think as much to get me back out of their storage bay. Which I am glad to leave again. The second I’d followed Lam out there I’d regretted it…the air in the hold was so hot and dry from having the big bay door open.
Something tickles at my brain…something about what they said when I first woke up. I stop walking and turn back to Lam, he was following me back up onto the deck.
“Why couldn’t he understand me? You told me translators just ‘work’”
Neb lets out a frustrated little sigh and crosses his arms, “We will never get away with anything with you around will we?”
I grin, “Nope…and don’t you forget it either. I am assuming that you all just have translators though.”
He nods and then shoos me along, “Come on. We got the language from them. You’d just woken up, everything was…we just didn’t want to have to deal with all that right then.”
We go and sit back up on the deck and Neb continues the ‘out of hold’ selling.
The view out of the windows startles me again, but only for a second. I’d spent ages looking at it when we�
��d first landed. The sky is a deceptively cold looking blue, almost whitish. All I could see to the horizon was sand….and not dunes or drifts, just huge, flat tracts of browns and reds, mingling together. It was pretty foreboding, and Lam had told me not to be deceived by the look of it…it is very hot outside. I’d seen a couple of other ships float past the windows at a distance, but we are effectively parked with our back to the action. The first time I’d heard another ship come into land, Lam had reassured me gently that it was fine…because it was so loud, I had felt the rumble through the deck.
I think about what he’s said, it was a little omission, and I wasn’t in a position to be thinking about stuff like this then. The little lie was much simpler than a big explanation I guess.
“Okay, but don’t fib to me again.”
Lam nods, “all right, no more…uhm…fib.” His ears flatten in what I know think of as the concentrating frown as he tries to figure out ‘fib’.
Lam’s looking at his screen, typing and then tapping on boxes with writing in. He’s looking up what Old Man Conspiracy Theory said. I’m torn now, I want my full attention back on the screen watching the remaining humans. I think this is more important for the moment…although I’m seriously intrigued by what Old Man Conspiracy Theory had said, though.
“Are you sure we can’t record this?” I ask Lam. Again.
He nods, not even bothering to answer me this time.
“What are Pack Records?”
“They are like…the open public record of everyone. Births, mate bonds, positions of employment. Deaths. All the basics.”
I nod, trying to keep my focus on what I’m seeing in the cargo bay, “Hatches, batches and dispatches.”
He tilts his head, ears twisted down, thinking, then he grins and chuffs a chuckle. “I like that. Yes. It sounds good when you say it.”
He opens them up on his screen, searching. I can’t read their language, so there’s no point in my looking. I carry on watching Neb in the bay…he moves about, adjusting things. Then perches on a crate when more people come in, watching diligently. Whenever someone gets too close to the other humans he stands and speaks to them. I’m glad he’s preventing just anyone from touching them. There’s something unsettling about that thought.