Jantine took JonB’s pack from him, then snapped her head to the side. There was a brief flash of alarm from her, then appreciation. Katra’s eyes flicked in the same direction, then returned to stare at Mira.
Mira felt Artemus approach long before hearing the Delta. The ease at which the big mod moved through the trees was impressive, and she was curious at what had tipped Jantine off.
Artemus slid out of the shadows and approached the impromptu conference. For a change, his lower hands held several dead birds instead of weapons.
"Scout Katra. Scientist JonB. Lieutenant Commander Harlan."
The Delta paused. It was slight, but the confusion in his mind told her more than any words could. A second later, he completed his deliberation and addressed Jantine.
"Governor Jantine. I have set up a two-kilometer perimeter line. Support Technician Carlton is very interested in his discovery, which he believes will allow us increased mobility."
Mira wasn’t sure Jantine was comfortable with the new title, but sensed that she at least accepted it. Maybe it was because there wasn’t really a colony for her to govern, but Artemus still wanted to follow her orders. And despite Serene’s new status, Jantine was still the senior soldier present.
Well, that’s somewhat debatable I guess, but I have even less interest in commanding these people than Katra does.
"What are those?"
Katra pointed her rifle at the dead birds.
"I believe these small animals may be edible. Lieutenant Commander Harlan, is this so?"
Mira remembered turkey hunts with her family as a child. Prairie chickens and pheasants weren’t exactly the same, but she still knew how to clean and dress a bird. And since Artemus had apparently captured and killed them with his bare hands, when she was done there would be no annoying pellets to pick out of the final product.
"Yes, Guardian Artemus, thank you. I can show you how to prepare them if you wish."
Mira held out her hands for the birds, wondering if any of the mods had ever hunted before. Thankful he hadn’t brought back a deer, she smiled and accepted them.
"I would appreciate that, but another time. There is still work to do to establish our camp."
"Artemus," said Jantine, "take JonB to Carlton. I will continue your patrol."
Artemus looked from Jantine to Katra, who gave him a small nod. Despite her efforts at control, Mira felt Jantine’s annoyance spike. But it faded quickly, and the three Colonial soldiers split off in different directions, with JonB trailing after Artemus.
Mira called out to them while they were all still in hearing range: "JonB—all of you, really—please be careful with any machinery you find. Try to avoid activating anything without knowing what it does, and if you feel threatened, run. And if you can find a transport of some kind, remember that it has to be large enough to carry the Omegas."
"Of course," JonB said. "How long will it take to prepare the small animals? I wish to eat them as soon as possible."
"JonB, this is not our priority. There are enough ration packs for all of us."
One benefit to her new mental abilities was that Mira could "hear" the Betas bickering as they walked away, and she knew they were doing so more out of habit than annoyance. Something had happened between the two of them when they comforted one another, and despite the stress her earlier comments had caused she was happy they were getting along better. During their first encounter on the shuttle, Mira wasn’t entirely sure Jantine wasn’t going to shoot him.
She felt them move out of range, noting the distance. In time, she might be able to extend her abilities, but a two hundred meter radius seemed to be a hard limit.
"Do not get comfortable here, Earther," Katra said. "You are tolerated, nothing more. You are not one of us."
Katra’s words matched her thoughts, both equally uncompromising. Mira had thought Jantine’s mind inflexible at first, but Katra’s was etched in stone. It wasn’t hard to reconcile the sight of the warrior in front of her with the image of the Gamma fighting to breathe while she was bleeding out on the deck. Katra would never stop fighting until she was dead, and she would kill anyone who threatened her comrades.
A group that, as I am continually reminded, does not include me.
Mira shrugged, and held up the birds.
"Does this mean you don’t want dinner? I think I saw some lemongrass earlier. Should be able to get something ready in about an hour."
Katra grunted, narrowing her eyes slightly. Though she didn’t have Jantine’s level of control, Katra’s emotions were still difficult to isolate. Her anger was easy enough, but there was enough curiosity to give Mira some hope that the Gamma might eventually accept her.
That, or she’s waiting until I finish cooking to kill me.
"It’s fairly easy, once you know how. I remember my first time, though. Even though I wanted to be treated the same as my brothers, when Daddy handed me the bird I didn’t understand what he wanted me to do with it. Once he showed me, I was sure I’d never be hungry again."
Mira filled the short distance to the mods’ temporary camp describing her brothers’ faces when she finally tried to clean the bird. As she talked, Katra’s interest grew, and Mira was very pleased to feel the barrier between them coming down.
You’re all so good at making hard choices, but not so much at making friends.
Her earlier assessment of the Omegas’ positions was correct. "Happy" was sitting near the small pile of supplies that had survived the shuttle crash, while "Grumpy" was acting as a pillow for Serene. Mira felt the Alpha’s attention on her as soon as she entered the small clearing, as well as flares of recognition from both the Omegas.
As before, Happy was relieved to be in her presence, and the mod’s need for companionship was as powerful as ever. But Grumpy was a different matter entirely. Mira thought she could sense empathic activity in his mind, but he made no attempt to contact her.
Serene looked up into the Omega’s face and smiled. Of all the mods Mira had seen so far, the child’s face was the most alien. Shadows from a salvaged emergency light made her strange face seem even longer, and in the dim illumination her big brown eyes appeared nearly black. Grumpy certainly had no qualms about them, and from the way he was looking at Serene, Mira was certain she wasn’t the only one in the clearing who could talk to the Omegas.
Oh, dear.
A snippet of Doria’s conversation with Malik rose from her borrowed memories. She’d mentioned to him how few empaths there were in the outer colonies, mainly because only a handful were necessary depending on the size of a community. But Mira was starting to think there might be a different reason, and wasn’t sure of the best way to ask Happy about the capabilities of a mature Alpha.
At her side, Mira felt Katra’s defenses soften, and she detected love and devotion for the strange child. Mira felt a touch of embarrassment for the abrupt way in which she’d ended her story, but the Gamma didn’t seem to care. This "softer side" of Katra seemed somehow appropriate, and Mira had to admit that it would be nice to love someone that much someday.
Just as long as it’s not JonB. Trouble, trouble, trouble, that one.
Katra finally noticed the lull in conversation, and Mira sensed she was about to ask a question. One she’d been working on for a while now, from the feel of it.
"This family you speak of. Father. Brothers. Uncles. Where are they now? Were they aboard the ship, the Valiant?"
Mira wasn’t sure which question Katra was more interested in, so she settled on the easy one.
"No. It’s been a few years since I’ve seen them in person, but they are here, on Earth. There are Harlans spread out all over the place, actually, but most of our kin are still here in North America."
Mira thought she detected a bit of sadness behind Katra’s eyes before she spoke.
"These words are old ones for us. Families. Kin. In the first days of a colony, they are necessary until the crèches are set up."
"And how does tha
t make you feel, Katra?" Mira couldn’t believe she’d used the clichéd words of a psychoanalyst, but they seemed appropriate to the moment.
Katra was silent for almost a minute, still looking at Serene lying back against Grumpy’s legs. Happy repeated his request for communication, but Mira felt there was something here she should know, something important. She opened her mind to him, noting how much easier it was to do than sharing herself with the Betas.
~I need to speak with Katra now. Can you find me some water, and something to cook with? I promise, we’ll talk soon.~
Mira did her best to imagine her mother’s tall-sided stew pot, and also sent along the image of carrots and potatoes in the vain hope that there might be something similar in the pile of supplies. Happy sent a feeling of understanding, just as Katra’s mind let go of the sadness she’d been holding back.
"Jarl is dead, Earther. There will be no family for me. And unless the Betas can find the sleepers, there are no more Gammas within a thousand light years."
The pain in Katra’s voice was unbearable, and Mira wanted to pull her into a hug and never let her go. But two things stopped her: One, she was still wearing her strength enhancing hardsuit, and Katra might well interpret the gesture as an attack.
And secondly, Katra wasn’t finished speaking, and her sadness had turned into cold anger.
"So to answer your question, I do not have time for feelings. I must protect those of us who still live. I do not think you are my enemy, but I do not wish to go to Harrison Institute. And if your presence here threatens Serene, I will kill you."
As the Gamma stalked away, Mira tried to remember waking up with only one person in her head. Of just being Lieutenant Harlan, who was a lot more like the woman walking away than either of them would ever admit.
She’s right, I don’t belong here. But I don’t belong anywhere else either, and until we figure out who I really am, this will have to do.
Mira heard a crashing sound, and her gun was out before she had time to process the sight of Happy holding up a large metal container in one hand, and several brown things in the other. Her smile was something she didn’t have to hold back, and she sent it to the Omega along with her thanks.
Wondering what she was going to use for firewood, Mira set the birds down and began taking off her hardsuit. If they were going to be here for a while, someone else could stand guard.
Besides, it’s like Daddy said. "Grab hold, little girl. Bird’s not going to skin itself."
JON-B34726-S
JON-B34726-S STUDIED THE GROUND IN FRONT OF him, memorizing the path ARS-D59007-C was taking. The Delta would have already selected a route free of obstacles, and it made sense for him to benefit from that experience.
JTN-B34256-O’s last words to him were troubling, as they represented a definite change in their working relationship.
"Be careful."
Even in the middle of the battle aboard the Valiant, she had maintained a certain distance. But now that S-A-198—Serene—was awake, JTN-B34256-O’s attitude toward him had definitely shifted, and he wasn’t at all sure it was for the better.
Jantine. I must remember to call her Jantine. It’s what she wants. What they all want.
"It is just ahead, Scientist JonB."
JON-B34726-S set his mouth in a tight smile. The other mods had been corrupting his name for nineteen days, two hours and five minutes now, and it still annoyed him. At least the Delta had the excuse that he was following orders, but the others were laughing at him every time they did it. Even Mira Harlan’s mistaken pronunciation of "Janbi" was preferable, but since she’d shifted to the form the others were using, someone must have told her.
There are some things that should not change. We must be better than the humans, not the same. Isn’t that the point of this mission?
"Are you experiencing discomfort, Scientist JonB?"
"No, it’s all right, Artemus. I’m fine. What can you tell me about Carlton’s discovery?"
Instead of answering, the Delta pointed through a gap in the trees with a lower hand. Just down a small hill was a landscape completely different from the grasslands. The ground itself was a different color: gray spotted with black instead of rich brown soil.
There were several buildings, one of which glowed from within. The area between was covered with long bars of metal, either laid down in lines on the ground or stacked in rusting piles. There were large, rectangular boxes made of metal as well, some lying flat on their sides and others with wheels attached to their bases and fitted onto the metal bars.
Even in its dilapidated state, this was the first sign of civilization he’d seen on Earth, and JON-B34726-S wondered how he’d missed it while they were descending from orbit.
I must have been distracted by all the screaming. But if this is an indication of their society, how did they ever launch a ship like the Valiant?
Mira Harlan said she was from this planet, and she seemed familiar with this continent in particular. She would know what this was, but Carlton had been here for some time already and would likely have a more scientific explanation for what he was seeing.
Increased mobility? From this collection of rusted garbage?
"I see," said JON-B34726-S. "Is it safe to go down there?"
"There is a substantial amount of hydrocarbon residue on the ground and most surfaces, but limited exposure will not be hazardous. I recommend you maintain suit integrity at all times."
"Understood, thank you."
A crumbling dirt path led down the hillside, one which JON-B34726-S suspected was not made by human feet. Artemus descended rapidly, kicking up dust and rocks as he went. The Delta then did a quick spin, checking for enemies at the base before lifting a top hand and motioning for JON-B34726-S to follow.
Let’s see . . . it’s about fifteen meters down, angle of almost fifty degrees. If I fall, I likely won’t live long, but he would have carried me down if he thought I couldn’t make it.
Trusting the Delta’s earlier pledge of protection, he checked his helmet seals and placed a suited foot on the path. Easing himself onto the slope, JON-B34726-S saw several ledges along the path, and their irregular shapes suggested buried roots or rock outcroppings.
Well, if it will hold his weight . . .
JON-B34726-S took a moment to calculate the smallest number of jumps he could make to reach the bottom. Given his size and conditioning, he didn’t trust himself to slide the entire length. But at the same time he was a Beta, and he took pride in his capabilities. Satisfied he’d chosen the optimum path, JON-B34726-S skipped down the hill in four uneven jumps, timing the last so that he landed right behind the Delta.
As soon as he reached the bottom, Artemus started moving toward the lit structure. JON-B34726-S followed, searching the area for possible signs of more advanced technology.
The metal bars he’d spotted from the top of the hill were of various compositions, and up close he could see that most of those on the ground were in better condition. There was a faint odor in the air he could not place—it reminded him of pre-exile artifacts he’d handled as a child.
Tires, if memory serves.
Looking around, he saw nothing like the textured black fragments he remembered from the Earth museum on Colony C, but he did notice more of the metal bars, including some arranged in a line leading into the illuminated building. JON-B34726-S kneeled down near the entrance, taking advantage of the extra light to conduct a closer examination.
The bars were spaced approximately 1.4 meters apart, and fastened to slabs of hard stone. JON-B34726-S ran his hand along both the metal and stone, and he found the latter to be a composite material of some kind.
I remember this from the museum as well. They made buildings out of something like this in the early years of Colony C. Crushed stone mixed with a binding agent. This site could be centuries old!
JON-B34726-S stood and looked back over the metal-filled plain. From ground level, he couldn’t see the other end, but the line
of bars and stones ran roughly a kilometer from where he stood, intersecting with multiple smaller angled sections of bars. When nothing else triggered a recollection, he turned and followed Artemus into the structure.
The interior was reminiscent of the launch bay of the Valiant, with dozens of scaffolds, machines, and work spaces. The tire smell was much stronger here, and several of the machines were surrounded by piles of black dust.
There was dust everywhere, in fact. Unlike the Earther vessel, most of these machines appeared abandoned and incomplete. Carlton had cleaned an area next to the largest of the machines.
The Beta was examining large wheels on the side of the machine when he noticed JON-B34726-S and Artemus enter. He had unpacked most of the collected Earther gear, including several of the power generators, and installed work lights on either side of the big machine.
"JonB, come look at this!"
Whatever the machine was, it was certainly impressive. It was tall, multicolored, and had handles and steps leading into an enclosed section at the far end.
JON-B34726-S walked the length of the building, marveling at both its new and old aspects. There were no comparable structures in the colonies; so much refined metal would have been re-purposed long before it could reach this state. Massive tools meant for human-sized workers were everywhere, and behind glass panels mounted on the wall he could see where Carlton had used his hands to reveal fading images. Not all the panels were intact, and like the large object many were coated with brightly colored pigments.
"What is it, Carlton?"
"It’s an engine of some kind. They maintained it here, but look at this."
Carlton came forward and showed him a handheld. The image displayed was a scan of one of the glass panels, depicting a machine very like this one attached to a long line of containers, also on wheels.
"It’s part of a transport system."
"Yes! And according to this," Carlton exchanged the image for another, displaying a series of lines drawn across the continent, "there’s an interconnected network of these things all over this region. I think if we can get this one operational, perhaps some of the others as well, we can use them to get to Chicago and the institute."
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