Spheres of Influence

by Bob Mauldin

  The krath-hide vest darkened with his sweat, and Pankatt’s hand slid smoothly onto the hilt of the sword as he sidled out into the expanse. Keeping the sword pointed at the ground, he waited. “If your opponent is the stronger, let him come to you,” his teachers had said enough times that it had become ingrained. But the instinct to attack was just below the surface.

  Stopping the requisite three paces away, Pankatt faced his Lord and benefactor. Going down one knee, the Sept-leader placed his head to the burning sand. Arms outstretched, he extended the sword. “As you command, my Lord, so must I obey,” he recited the ritual words. “With the gift of this sword, I once again pledge my allegiance and dedicate myself to your service.”

  Hearing the great torch whistle through the air, he rolled to one side and into battle crouch as the fiery end of the torch slammed into the ground where his head had been but one second before.

  “You prattle to me of loyalty?” the shambling figure roared. “I raise you above almost all others, and you repay me with incompetence!”

  The great torch went flying into the shadows as the furious Lord moved in on his victim. “If you don’t answer my questions to my satisfaction, I will rip off your arms and beat you to death with them! I will disperse your wives across the hegemony! I will eat your male cubs! Then I will replace you with someone who won’t lose my property! Where... is... my... ship?

  “Power I gave to you. Authority and responsibility I gave to you. And you were to use those things to protect the Korvil Hegemony. My Hegemony! A double handful of ships I gave you, and you lose one!”

  “Sire! I but followed the procedure you set down. I sent in the reports on anomalous readings on the long-range scans from our outermost scouts. War Minister Darmag sent back instructions to dispatch ships into that area over your signature, Lord, to investigate. I sent out two teams of two, Lord—standard procedure when we approach the Shiravan colonies. Only one ship has appeared on scan, and that is Fist of Vengeance. Long-rang scans show her engine signature to be fluctuating, which is what is slowing her arrival. She was teamed with Hunter’s Luck, but she arrives alone. Until she docks, I have no knowledge of any losses!”

  “Hunter’s Luck didn’t have any problems with her engines, Sept-leader, and she came all the way to Korvil to report directly to me. At first scent, according to the Luck’s captain, the hunters had found a nest of Shiravi. But it would seem that what your patrol discovered was an entirely unexpected surprise. It would seem this colony was progressing in an unexpected direction. Rather than building a base for personnel, this bunch built defenses first! When your forces attacked, they had fighters to defend the nest. Two of your ships are lost, Sept-leader, but I will let you live. For the information we have uncovered is nearly unbelievable! Not one, but two new races! And they are working in unison to fortify a system using Shiravan technology. This means that we face an alliance composed of two races we’ve never scented before. What say you to that, Sept-leader?”

  “I would say, Lord, that any further contact with these new aliens be made in force. They must be discouraged from having anything to do with the Shiravi. Keep one’s enemies at each other’s throats and they will be too busy to defend themselves in unison or separately. What do we know, Lord, of these new races, if one as unworthy as I may ask?”

  “We know this, Sept-leader.”

  The monarch growled into the gloom, and immediately the sounds of approaching feet could be heard, along with the sound of something being dragged. From between the pillars, figures moved into the Pit. There were four in all, half-dragging two things with them. Aliens!

  “Tell me what you think.”

  Pankatt walked up to the two creatures held up by the guards. They were both naked, so it was obvious that they were at least similar, but they were two totally different colors. The darker one was obviously male, but the other one was white and if it was a female, there was something wrong. Her teats looked to be full of milk, but she was unmistakably barren. He sniffed up and down their bodies, inhaling deeply.

  “Lord, I have no explanation. They would appear to be of the same species but for their coloration. They smell akin to each other, but the female must be weak. She is milk-full but barren. And they have no hair to speak of except on top of their heads and between their legs. How is that a survival trait? Perhaps they are both diseased.”

  “It was my idea to have them dissected, Sept-leader. Perhaps we can learn something from their composition.” The great monarch looked down appraisingly on the smaller beings.

  “Yes, Lord. But if a humble servant may ask a question, could we not learn more from them alive? It would seem that great care should be taken to study all aspects of these new creatures. They can always be dissected later. I have to wonder how anything so defenseless can be formidable enough to destroy two ships though.” He lifted the hand of the male and inspected it, then did the same with a foot. He repeated the process on the female, massaging her teats in wonder. The two beings just stood and allowed the indignities to occur. “They have no claws. He lifted the female’s head by the hair on top of her head and pushed back her upper lip. “Flat teeth, not hunter’s teeth, but they have hunter’s eyes. And they are soft.” He walked around behind the two beings and poked them in various places. “I don’t understand how they survive. Perhaps they are pets?”

  “Perhaps, Sept-leader. But they do make the same kind of gabbling noises the krath-Shiravi make. Not that any of the crew of the Luck was ever able to understand a sound they made. Simple gestures, is all. The black one keeps putting its paw to its mouth. It is believed that this indicates hunger, but they cannot survive on real food. It seems that trail-paste is all they are able to absorb.” Trail-paste, a high protein concentrate, was a blend of cooked meats and several things no proper Korvil would eat in its natural state—nuts, berries, and grains. These last ingredients served mostly to act as preservatives but also to add protein to the meats because, over time, they tended to lose their potency. All ships carried a quantity of it for emergencies. “Many things were tried before someone tried the paste. So, tell me Sept-leader,” the huge being asked in more conversational tones, “what sector did you send the missing ships to explore?”

  “Sector korvatch-nine, Lord. But the captains were given the standard instructions to follow their own instincts and expand their search as necessary, as well as to maintain communications silence. It’s possible, Lord, that the other two ships could still be operational.”

  “Not possible,” the hulking creature roared and made a lightning grab at the young Sept-leader, who barely managed to evade the stroke, feeling claws barely graze his throat. “At least not for one of the ships,” he continued in more reasonable tones. “Luck’s sensors detected an explosion consistent with our engine pods just before the final attack on the nest. Perhaps one still stalks prey but certainly not both.”

  The imposing figure moved ponderously around the two aliens, scenting deeply of each and enjoying the fear-smell from the smaller white one more. “Perhaps, if we find their homeworld, they would make good prey—if not for us, then at least for our cubs. They really don’t have much in the way of natural weaponry, do they?”

  Pankatt barely managed to suppress a flinch as his Lord suddenly jumped in front of him and batted the forgotten sword aside as if it were a toy. “The ships I gifted you were among the best to come out of the Darmesh yards! And their crews were among the best in the entire fleet! I will not hear tales of engine disruptions or meteors or ineptitude on their part! We will send an expanded taskforce to search korvatch-nine. I want my ship found, do you understand, Sept-leader? Or word of its fate. And,” he said, looking back at the two aliens still being held up by the guards, “I am going to gift you with these two pitiful specimens. You are now responsible for their care and maintenance. You are now responsible for wringing sense out of their gabbling noises. Return to your Sept, Pankatt Korchon, and know that you still have your life o
nly by my pleasure and generosity. Guard well these two creatures, and report by fastest courier ship any progress in learning to communicate with them. That is all.”

  Pankatt bowed low before his Lord, exposing the back of his neck for several seconds, and when he raised his eyes back up from the floor, only the two soft creatures were left, lying on their sides in the sand.

  The return to Kravarine was not without incident. First taking their leashes in hand, Pankatt dragged his prisoners out of the Pit, out of the Palace, and into the streets of Darkoma. The capitol city of the Korvil Hegemony was only about two hundred thousand or so, and they were all Korvil. The lesson was that they had no chance of hiding.

  Taking the simple expedient of just walking off holding their leashes, he left the decision of following or being dragged up to the aliens. This lesson was that obedience made their lives easier.

  As he led the way to the city’s markets, he used his communicator to speak to his First aboard Predator’s Claw, the Kravar Sept, informing him of the impending arrival of unusual items for the ship’s cargo hold. “No, I cannot say more. There are ears to hear, and the wrong inferences may be drawn. Consider the materials to be temporary additions to Claw for the duration of a mission assigned by Lord Korvil himself. That will be all.”

  Standing in the middle of nearly a hundred booths and stores, he faced the female and forced her eyes up to his. Using the simplest gestures he could think of, he finally got through to her the concept that she should choose foods for herself and the male. It was insanity, really, since Korvil females didn’t have the mental acuity to understand more than the simplest of gestures. He smiled slightly as the pale-white, bare-skinned creature finally began to hesitantly move among the booths and stalls, searching each for foodstuffs that were compatible. Surprisingly, fruits, nuts and berries were high on her list of acceptable items. Each time she found an item, she would go to the male and offer him some. On some occasions he would agree, and others disagree, so she wasn’t the final arbiter for the pair but perhaps the junior member.

  Each time an item was agreed upon, Pankatt allowed each creature to eat some and ordered each proprietor to send cases of the item to the Claw. Joruun will think I’ve gone crazy, he thought. A smile crossed his face as he envisioned the First’s reaction when he brought these two aboard. Finally, he intercepted the female as she tried to get the male’s approval on some berries that were normally used as dyes. The look that crossed her face could have been confusion or anger.

  I will have to learn their expressions. Sometimes it is wise to study your prey before attacking. The trick is in knowing when.

  Making her understand that she should ask him for permission to have the food took some patience, but when she got it, he rejoiced inwardly. That was the third lesson—that they had food only by his pleasure. And they were trainable! If he could find their homeworld, the free labor alone would enormously enrich him. And if they made good prey, so much the better.

  Indicating that the shopping spree was over, he headed out of the market, intending to look for a hire-vehicle to take them back to the Claw. Suddenly, the leash in his left hand tightened enough to spin him halfway around. The female had stopped at a stall, and when he looked at her, she pointed at a bolt of cloth on a table. He mimed that the cloth was not food and turned to go, pulling on her leash. When she resisted again, he sprang to her side, grabbed the longish hair on top of her head, and bent her backwards over his knee, holding her in place with his other hand on her belly. When she started to squirm, he unsheathed his claws just enough to break through the soft skin covering her and felt her grow still.

  Pankatt pulled down hard enough on her head to bend her farther backwards, and a sound of pain escaped her lips, high-pitched enough to hurt his ears. When he saw the male begin to move toward him, he placed his teeth firmly on the female’s throat and prepared to tear it out. Looking at the male, he saw him stop, stunned by the sight before him. Sinking to his knees, the creature almost seemed to beg him not to kill the female. He growled around the quivering flesh, stared at the kneeling male for a moment, and then removed his teeth. Some two dozen drops of blood stood out starkly on the pale white skin of her throat. He stood up, keeping his eyes on the alien male, and let the female drop heavily to the ground. When the male tried to go to her, Pankatt growled loud enough to stop him in his tracks. Finally, he signed that the male could approach the female. The fourth lesson was learned—that they had their lives only by his pleasure.

  During the trip back to Kravarine, Pankatt ordered a pair of cells to be constructed and placed them in a room where the prisoners would be able to see each other through the clear plasticine substance used to form their box-like prisons. During the time it took to build these special cells, he left the creatures strictly alone, ordering that food be delivered twice daily and that no apparent notice be taken of them unless they attacked.

  When the cells were ready, he went with four guards to the small lavatory that had been used to house the prisoners and immediately noticed the absence of any unpleasant odors except for the creatures themselves. Apparently, they’d figured out how to use the facilities for their own waste disposal, as well as any food residue. They’d also cleaned their furless skin to an unusual degree, and there was the smell of disinfectant about them. That boded well for their ability to learn, and he was encouraged about his plans for them.

  Guards dragged the prisoners to their new cells, which were tall enough to stand upright and long enough to lay down in. The guards first placed the male in his cage, then the female. Their leashes were removed, and a punishment collar was locked about each neck. Both cells had a sleeping mat and elimination hole, and were cunningly designed so that the height could be lowered, forcing the occupant to crouch or sit. The length could also be shortened, forcing them to sleep erect, and the lights were left on at all times.

  Pankatt remembered that the female had seemed to covet the cloth from the market almost as much as the food, and she’d been willing to suffer much to acquire it. Deciding this was a useful piece of information, he’d paid a handsome sum to have a bolt delivered along with the foodstuffs, a fact that he kept from the creatures for the time being. He surmised that the female wanted it for artificial coverings because of her furless skin.

  After two more days of isolation, Pankatt decided it was time to begin lessons. He needed to learn the position of planetary defenses, major population centers, transportation systems, population levels, technology levels, etcetera. And the only way to learn was to teach them his language. The female was the logical choice. She seemed to defer to the male, but she also seemed the smarter of the two.

  Several days of eating well and resting had restored much of the creatures’ vitality. A report had been handed to him before the Claw departed Korvilene, stressing their robust condition. This was a significant improvement considering that their condition when he’d taken them aboard had been anything but “robust.”

  He entered the cell of the female and she shrank back into a corner. Pointing at the floor at his feet, he said, “Kneel here.” When she refused to move, as he’d known she would, he showed her the small device in his hand. It had two buttons on the face of it. He pointed at one button and then pointed at her. Then he pressed it. She screamed in pain and grabbed the collar around her neck. He released the button and waited for her to recover. He then pointed at the second button and then at the male. Once again, he pressed the button, and the creature’s scream of agony was barely audible through the two cell walls.

  Holding the pain applicator in his left hand where the female could see it, he pointedly placed a finger on the male’s button and again pointed at his feet. “Kneel here.” This time she obeyed but stopped too far away. He pressed the button and listened to the scream. “Here!” he said, and she moved within easy reach. He put one hand on her shoulder, refusing to flinch at the feeling of bare flesh, and pressed down until she knelt. “Kneel!
<
br />   The lessons continued all the way back to Kravarine, alternating between the male and the female. Often, he would take one or the other around the ship, leashed, as he inspected or just socialized with the crew. Total immersion was the only way to learn his language in time to do him any good. The cell walls were too thick for them to communicate with each other without yelling, and that seemed to hurt their throats in an amazingly short time. He became confident that he’d be able to communicate with them much sooner than anyone would have imagined. Perhaps his Lord would even bestow another Honor upon him and his Sept.

  Pankatt had leashed one creature to each side of his command chair and was directing the landing approach to Kravarine when the inconceivable occurred—Shiravan craft attacking! Nine craft sprang into position from behind Kravarine’s one dismally small moon. Six of them targeted his two ships, and the others made strafing runs on the unsuspecting spaceport.

  Within seconds, all his plans were in ruins. A hand apiece of The Korvils’s finest raiders lay in ruins on his Sept-world! And the sister ship that had traveled with him from Korvilene was destroyed in the first moments of the attack, taking its attacker with it. Shiravan ships had never executed an effective defense, much less a coordinated attack! Not a command had escaped his lips, but the pilot immediately flipped the ship and dove for the surface.

  Pankatt recognized his pilot’s maneuver as one that used a gravity well to help accelerate a ship so that it could bypass a planet’s defenses quicker. It could also be used, he knew, to help escape a superior force. Using the sling effect, he could effectively exit the gravity well anywhere he chose, and unless his enemies were very lucky, he’d escape to report this... abomination to Korvilene. Of course, he’d lose his head, but Honor dictated only one course.