Our Treasure

by S M Matthews

  “You think Ceph is the good looking one?” I can’t keep the surprise, and a little horror, from leaking into my voice. Surely not the scruffy cub.

  She maintains her solemn composure for all of a moment before she starts laughing at me.

  “Oh, you idiot,” she says, but she’s grinning.

  Oh, yeah. She thinks we all look exactly the same.

  That was a compliment. Sort of. I can’t help the stupid grin.

  “Did you hurt yourself? Let me look.” She kneels on the chair and I have to lean forward across the table for her to part my mane and see if she can find anything. I know there’s no damage done, but if she wants to touch me, I won’t argue. Her fingertips thoroughly investigate the mane on top of my head.

  “Your fur is so thick I can barely find your skin. I can’t see anything obvious though.” She spends a few more seconds simply stroking her fingertips though my mane, exploring to the base of my ears. Don’t purr. Don’t purr. She’s probably not ready for that yet. She brushes the side of my ear and I thank her for checking and back away. Just from that I can feel my cocks desperately wanting to emerge, only my trousers holding them in.

  Even with all the different smells from the food bits I’ve prepared filling the room, the smell of her is still intoxicating.

  “So why are there two of them?” She startles me out of my thoughts. I look down as quickly as I can and back up. There’s nothing showing but I hope that my checking wasn’t obvious. She’s poking at something on her plate. I don’t think she saw.

  “Two?” It comes out as a little whine and I have to try again. “Two?”

  She points with her spoon, “Tails; I don’t think anything on Earth has two tails.”

  Right. Of course. The tails.

  “Well, why don’t you have any?” I ask her seriously.

  “Errrrr…” she says, then laughs. “Okay, fair point.”

  CEPH

  The research station is already requesting comms and we aren't even in range yet. Apparently my message about surrendering leftover stock was way too vague for their security team. Great. We are nearly into active scanning range, so I go to find Cora. At distance, they might pick her up as a lifeform if they are paying attention, but I want her hidden before they start looking at us in detail. As long as we don’t give them any excuse to search us, all should be well.

  She’s in the galley; Lam’s giving her more foods to try. I smile to myself; I can hear her laughter ringing out before I get there.

  “Sorry to interrupt, but we’re getting too close.” Cora gives an exaggerated sigh.

  “Time to hide in the hidey hole,” she says glumly, hopping off her chair to follow me.

  I don’t miss the disgruntled glare Lam gives me. As if it’s my fault she has to leave.

  “Can’t I just stay out in the open, what difference does it make if they know I’m here?”

  “I don’t know,” I answer honestly, “and I don’t want to find out. I’ve no doubt that some of those others are going to end up in quite public situations, and once the dust settles and we see where that leaves you, we might change our minds. They are going to figure out you’re all intelligent pretty quickly, that means laws will apply in one way or another. Also, we still don’t really know what ‘Old Man Conspiracy Theory’ was implying. I’d rather you were just safe.”

  We’d talked about what the old one had said a few times, and with nothing else to go on and no way to unpick it further, we’d had to leave it. Cora’s name for him has completely been adopted by the three of us.

  He hadn’t even explicitly said that it was directly relating the humans. Not exactly. But what he’d meant about humans being ‘history’ is anyone's guess. Obviously Lam had searched our records again, just to make sure he hadn’t missed any mention of humans being a historically known species.

  Nope, nothing.

  But just that knowing something might cause you to have an accident has all three of us somewhat uncomfortable. Not even specifically that the something was the existence of humans. Just that it’s really, really, likely.

  At least, I hope it’s not that. I cannot come up with a single reason as to why it even could be that.

  I lead her across to the back of the bay. I unlatch the wall panel, it looks the same as those around it, and if you didn’t know you would assume it was solid wall. The room contains a cage, heavily modified, it emits a field to disguise it from scanners. Cora sighs and goes in; I’ve put some furniture in there so that she will be comfortable while we are in range of the station. She could be in here for a while. I’ve also put in a few crates of our stock that I’d rather the station not be aware of.

  I close the cage door behind her and activate it, the bars of the cage seem to hum for a moment, and then go quiet. I leave the outer door open, there will be no need to close it unless someone boards us to do a search.

  “You guys really aren't fans of authority, are you?” She leans up against the bars to speak to me, and I pull a crate over to sit.

  “Never have been really…and laws can be a bit…invasive.”

  She smiles, “I can’t speak for aliens but…I like to think they would exist for a reason. Like keeping people safe?”

  “That’s an…optimistic viewpoint.”

  “You think I’m being naïve.”

  “I think that maybe people don’t see that laws that are supposedly there to keep everyone ‘safe’ may also be used to control people. Everyone stick together, everyone go the same way, everyone do as you’re told, you know?”

  The comms panel nearby beeps, and I get up to answer. We must have come into range. “Are you going to stay quiet?” She fakes twisting something at her lips and then throwing it over her shoulder. I frown at her, then prick my ears forward, “What-”

  “Yes!” She laughs at me, “Yes, I’ll be good. Honest. You make sure you tell them to treat her well, that she’s intelligent.”

  “That’s not the sort of thing I can just work into conversation without incriminating us further. They will figure it out eventually.”

  “And between then and now I don’t want her being treated like an animal, she’s really young. I don’t know what it’s like for you guys, but being a teenage girl is hard enough just on its own without what she’s about to wake up to. Please.” She’s being so sincere. This is clearly very important to her. This strong sense of empathy she has for her fellow humans is equal parts endearing and hugely inconvenient.

  I nod and lean against the bars, “What do I get out of that?”

  CORA

  Oh for the love of…I roll my eyes so hard I’m surprised they don’t fall out of my head. “You get the everlasting satisfaction of knowing you did the right thing?” I cross my arms and raise an eyebrow. If he tells me that ‘satisfaction is what he’s after’ I might actually punch him in his furry nose. They are definitely colluding. Three against one; not fair.

  “I already said I’d entertain the idea of getting to know you all better. I am trying to be open minded about this.” I point to the flashing light behind him. “It’s still beeping, you going to answer them or what?”

  He inspects his claws, putting on a great show of being bored. They are so frustratingly similar, but I am fully aware this time that I’m being played.

  “This courting thing…I mean it sounds like a good idea…but I’m also going to have to go to some effort for it. It might be nice to see what I’m working for? A little incentive?”

  My mouth drops open. The absolute audacity of him. I put on my clearly unimpressed voice, “Are you telling me you want to inspect the merchandise?”

  His disinterested facade cracks and he breaks into great chuffing laughter. Then he ear-shrugs at me, pushing off from the bars. “Well…I’ve already seen it, but it’s much more attractive when it’s awake…and arguing.” He turns and moves away, going to lean against the wall near the flashing button, watching me. Without taking his eyes off me he hits the button to answer.<
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  He identifies the ship, which is a long list of numbers and letters, and then declares the crew. He sounds really formal, but then I suppose there’s an official way of doing this. Apparently I’ve only been given the shortened versions of names too, Ceph is still Ceph, but Lam is Lamna and Neb is Nebrius.

  The guy on the other end returns the station’s identifier, but he doesn’t name anyone.

  “Request permission to dock. We’d like to…donate an unknown sample. Live specimen.”

  “Wait please, request being processed.” He’s just been put on hold. Strange, tinkly music plays. Put on hold, by a space station, in space. Incredible.

  I need to get my shit together, it doesn’t look like he’s going to say much else, “help her out? Please?” I like to think he will anyway…just like with Neb in the holding bay…but he’s still not adding anything more.

  Dammit.

  I glare at him. He widens his eyes and twists his ear to the front, tilting his head.

  And what are you going to do about it Cora?

  The tinkly music stops, and the voice through the comms is giving information for the docking bay they should use.

  I play the only card I think I have; he really doesn’t want them to know about me…I pull in a big breath as if to shout. He reacts like lightning, hitting a button on the panel. He points a clawed finger at me, “You promised you’d behave, I’ve muted us, he won’t hear you. If you like I can shut that door and you won’t get to hear.”

  I deflate again. I’ve just been told off. Like a child. I start to cross my arms and then stop myself; I’m not going to prove his point by pouting.

  I pull the jumper off, and Ceph gives me the shit eating grin they apparently all share. He does a twirling gesture with two fingers…meaning ‘go on, more than that’. I don’t know whether to scream or laugh at him. I raise my eyebrows at him. He repeats the twirling gesture.

  Honestly, these boys are the definition of incorrigible?

  I cross my arms under my breasts, forcing them up and together, it makes the shoulders of the sack dress slip down and gives him a pretty damn good view of my cleavage.

  His eyes slit like he’s concentrating…and his mouth opens. Just a tiny bit. I’d certainly miss it if I wasn’t looking for it. I can just see the very tip of his pink tongue. He’s pretty openly staring, then half-heartedly speaks to the station, staring at me all the while.

  “Actually, I do have something else to add…they have really big…errr…brains. Yeah. Huge, just huge…brains. They might even be intelligent. I did a…scan.” Oh crap, I think half his brain’s just shut down. I’ve sort of gotten what I want so I quickly cover up again.

  “Please clarify previous statement,” the dull station voice says from the speaker.

  Ceph shakes his mane out, pulling himself together. He makes a show of tugging a little at the front of his trousers. I can’t help my eyes rolling. I don’t know how much of that was for comedic value or how much was genuine distraction, but the big dumb ass is doing what I want. That does score him some points.

  “I did a scan of it and it’s got a pretty big brain so…be nice to it?” His voice lifts at the end, like he’s not at all sure. He bares his fangs in what I can only interpret as a really uncomfortable grimace. He scratches at the back of his head.

  There’s a really long pause. Long enough for it to become uncomfortable. Ceph ear shrugs at me.

  “Transport sample into the bay, you will be met by a holding team.”

  “Copy, on my way.” Ceph hits a button on the panel and then lets out a really long sigh of relief. He moves out of my line of sight for a second, then comes back, stepping into and then pulling up what looks like a hazmat suit whilst he’s walking back to me.

  “Happy now?” he asks, grinning at me like he’s just done me a massive favour.

  I just humph at him. “What’s with the outfit?”

  “She’s an unknown something right? So she might have something contagious.”

  I frown at him, “but you know she doesn’t.”

  “Yeah, I’m not telling them that though. They will make the assumption too and treat her like a quarantine case. Even though they will probably keep their suits on…station protocol or whatever, I can’t run any risk that they will trust us about her being clean. Which is what they will think if I go out there without a suit on. I can’t have them smelling me. I’m probably about to have to lie.”

  “So basically, everyone has to wear a space suit just so they can’t smell your epic bullshit?”

  All the big teeth are on display, his grin is so big. He looks so pleased with himself.

  Not for the first time today, I roll my eyes at him.

  CEPH

  I quickly comm my brothers to tell them what’s going on. Lam tells me he’s ready on deck, we should dock very shortly.

  “I’m going to have to shut you in, just while the bay door is open.” I grimace, “Sorry about this.”

  She waves dismissively at me, she’s not happy about it, but I don’t detect overmuch fear or anxiety coming off her. She goes and perches on the chair and I latch the door, sliding a few boxes and crates around in front of the ‘wall’ for effect.

  I feel a slight bump whilst I’m working and I know we've landed in one of the station bays. I finish putting my suit and helmet on, then go and open the bay door.

  There’s a team of three just coming into the bay on the other side, all suited up. Good. I watch for a second, they have a transport medical pod with them.

  This is working out perfectly, I note the pod is the shielded sort, designed for transporting quarantined subjects.

  I power down the cage and retrieve the last human, she’s smaller than Cora, and more delicate somehow. She’s got a lot of dark mane, and I have to rearrange it out the way so as not to get it caught up when I lift her. I make my way out with her, and the team indicate I should deposit her straight onto the transport pod.

  One of them produces a work pad. I have to stop myself from rolling my eyes; Cora’s rubbing off on me.

  “Unknown sample?” I nod.

  “Acquired from?” Well this guy should win an award for friendliness. One of the others is scanning her. I watch.

  “Another passing trader, I don’t have any details so don’t ask.”

  His mask steams ever so slightly when he huffs at me.

  “Species?” I sigh. As far as delaying tactics go, this is pretty poor on their part. They are still scanning back there. They don’t have a clue.

  “We don’t know, and I know you don’t know either. I’m going back on board now, I expect we will be on our way shortly.” His tails are practically flapping, so I give him my friendliest smile. “Thanks so much for all your help.”

  I’m surprised his glare doesn’t actually melt the mask of his suit.

  I leave them to it, and give my best swagger as I walk away. They would have kept that up for as long as they could without ‘officially’ being able to hold us.

  I grin to myself as I lean on the button to close our hold door. I wonder if they are suddenly going to have mysterious failure of their docking facility. Maybe their hold door will suddenly decide to stop working. It wouldn’t be the first time somewhere like this had used a tactic like that on us.

  I strip off the suit and comm Lam, “I’m back in, what are they doing?”

  “Taking their time about it,” he huffs.

  “They reported any mysterious technical difficulties yet?” I ask him.

  He laughs. “I really hope they don’t try that, I want to get out of here.” I couldn’t agree more.

  I shift the boxes back out of the way and open the door. She’s sat in the same place that I left her, elbow on her knee and chin in her hand, looking bored.

  “Sorry,” I grin at her, and she does smile back.

  “It’s okay, can I come out now?”

  I shake, “we haven't left yet, once we are far enough away. Hopefully won’t be too lo
ng.” She flops back in the chair, huffing.

  Lam speaks over the comm, “I think they might actually be giving up.”

  Well, that surprises me. Maybe Cora is bringing us a little luck.

  CORA

  I’ve had a shower, and done what I can considering there’s no makeup, no tweezers, no razors…just a bar of soap and the stuff to brush my teeth. Standards are going to slip real fast. My armpits already feel like shrubland.

  I’m going to have to talk to them, and considering they are covered in fur I’m pretty sure they won’t understand me wanting to shave but…I’m going to have to ask. My legs look like I’m cultivating a bit of a jungle.

  I lie on my bed for a bit, wondering what tonight will have in store for me.

  This evening is the first of my three visitations…is this like A Christmas Carol? So that would make Lam the ghost of Christmas past. I snort to myself.

  And then feel a bit homesick. I wonder if they do stuff like Christmas and birthdays…I can’t even imagine trying to explain Easter to them. That might be a conversation for some time in the future. Far, far into the future.

  I realise I am assuming that they will still be around far, far into the future. That’s probably just because I don’t know anyone else out here. Yet.

  Hopefully at some point they will get over this keeping me secret and safe thing…especially if there’s a chance for us to mingle with another human. I’d like to just know that they are going to be alright…but no one can know that.

  Just our luck to be sold on by a bunch of criminals.

  Criminals that seem to have a pretty solid sense of right and wrong, even if they won’t admit it.

  There’s a beep at my door, and I hop up as I call “Come in.”

  LAM

  I have actually made an effort. I had to dig to the back of my clothes store, but I found something comparatively neater than what I tend to wear day-to-day.

  Cora actually takes a moment to look me up and down, and she makes no effort to hide what she’s doing. I take it as a compliment.