by Heather Karn
The main square was bustling with activity. Even if Ki had wanted to, there was no way he could hide me from everyone in that madhouse. Though, with that many people, I’d likely go unnoticed as well. The buildings surrounding the square had dampened the noise coming from all the people because now that we were standing on the square’s edge, my ears were taking quite a bit of abuse.
“May I take your hand so I don’t lose you in the crowd?” Ki asked, stepping closer behind me to let a few of the cloaked aliens passed us. He’d let me know they were called Intaks.
He didn’t need to ask twice, and in answer, I slipped my hand in his and held tight. There was no way I wanted to be separated from him in this mess, peaceful race or not. He hadn’t shown me how to use the comm until to reach him, which he should’ve done before we left the ship now that hindsight was 20/20.
It wasn’t long until I found the noise and crowd to be organized chaos. I still didn’t like it, but it wasn’t nearly as awful as I thought it would be. For one, the crowd moved in the same direction. No one was weaving in and out trying to fight the main body. While there were three rings of stalls in the square, they all moved in a unified, clockwise direction.
We started on the outside ring with Kilani leading the way from stall to stall. Most were food vendors with odd foods I’d never seen in my life...which was becoming the new norm. Since I didn’t have any money or anything to trade, I was only looking out of curiosity, but one shop had cooked meat that smelled so divine, it made my stomach rumble. The next moment, Kilani was trading metal bits for a variety of the meats on three skewers and shoving them into my hand with an order to eat.
I did, and I moaned with pleasure. This was the closest food I’d eaten thus far that reminded me of home. Though I wasn’t sure what the meat actually was, it literally did taste almost like chicken. If I’d had any money, I would’ve purchased another six skewers for the road...or the ship.
Other vendors sold what could only have been fruits and vegetables, but they weren’t nearly as delectable smelling as the meats were. Then again, as I looked back at my meals on the ship, there had been very little, if any meat served.
Kilani lifted one shoulder in a passive gesture when I asked about it, spying another meat vendor. “We don’t eat much meat while out in the ships. It’s easier to store the food we have, it lasts longer, and we don’t have to feed and kill the animals on the ship. Any other way to keep it fresh changes the taste in such a way that it isn’t as desirable either.”
The next ring of vendors were jewelers and other crafty items including those selling woven baskets, carvings of all sorts, and material for their clothes and coverings. There was so much variety that I could barely keep up with it all. Kilani even allowed me to drag him around the ring a second time so I could take it all in again. The jewelry intrigued me since it was a style that the Intaks couldn’t wear without it not being seen, unless they only wore it at home. Kilani also suggested that it was for those visiting the planet to take back to their loved ones and friends.
A gemstone caught my attention on the second pass, and I couldn’t not reach out and touch it. It hung on a necklace that appeared to be made of some sort of leather. The gemstone itself was clear like a diamond, but it had splashes of every other color I could think of within it. As the sun glittered off it, the various colors sparkled and dimmed depending on the angle.
“Do you like it?” the vendor asked in an airy feminine voice. “It is one of the rarest stones we have.”
I nodded to her with a grin as I bent closer to the stone. “Oh, I love it, but I’m just looking.”
“I understand.”
Ki moved closer to me and eyed the stone along with me. “How much?”
“Fifteen double bits.”
Straightening, I looked to Kilani to judge his reaction. Like his usual annoying self when it came to moments like this, he didn’t give away what he was thinking. That meant I’d have to dig.
“Is that a lot?”
“That depends on your definition of a lot. For most of my men, yes. For me, no.”
“You get paid more.”
“Yes.”
I shrugged. “Not that it helps me. I don’t have any money. Thank you,” I told the vendor, who nodded her head under her covering.
Kilani’s hand tightened around my wrist. “I’ll buy the stone.”
“For who?” The question slipped from my lips without thinking. “Sorry, none of my business.”
He grinned, paid the lady, and reached around my neck under my hair and tied the necklace in place. “For you, of course.”
“Umm, where I come from, when a guy buys a woman jewelry, that implies some things.”
“Imply what you will from it. It’s still yours.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Plus, I couldn’t pass it up. You make the gem come to life, not the other way around.”
I slapped his arm as we moved further into the crowd toward the third ring. “Now you’re just being flirty.”
“The truth is the truth,” he argued back, throwing me a sly grin. I didn’t have an available comeback ready on my tongue, so I shook my head and followed after him.
The third ring was the loudest by far, and not from people noises. This ring was filled with animal vendors. It was almost shocking how closely some of the animals resembled those from Earth. If Earth had a sister planet, this was it.
As we strode around the ring, Kilani informed me about what each kind was and what it was used for: food, labor, or pet. The pets were the cutest little animals. Some were dog and cat-like. When we reached a vendor that was selling animals that looked like a ferret, I had to stop and watch them.
“What are they?” I asked the shopkeeper who was tending to the little creatures, who by appearances, were just barely old enough to leave their mother. A pen of older ones sat beside that one, and as I watched them, a shiver ran up my spine. They really were watching those passing by with an intensity that I’d never seen in an animal. Even some of the babies were doing the same.
“They’re called drits,” the shopkeeper explained in his low, raspy voice. Apparently the creatures were marsupials, and it wasn’t the person who chose the animal, but the animal who chose the person.
“Huh, that’s interesting,” I murmured, stepping up to a third cage that had drits a few weeks older than those in the first cage. “They’re adorable, that’s for-.”
A shrill squeal cut me off, and I barely had time to register that it was an animal’s cry before one of the medium sized animals slammed into my chest. It clung to my uniform while I gasped in a shocked breath after my heart had lurched. Even before I’d had a chance to comprehend what was happening, the drits had made its way up my body and was curled around my neck under my hair.
“Ah, you have been chosen,” the shopkeeper drawled, striding over to where I stood staring wide-eyed at Kilani. “Drits are extremely loyal animals. This one will be your companion the rest of its life.”
The rest of its life?
“What if I don’t want to take care of an animal for the rest of its life?” I asked the shopkeeper, who tipped his head at me.
“You have been chosen by a drits. It will stay with you, whether you want it to or not. They are loyal creatures.”
“How much?” I asked the shopkeeper, already dreading telling him I didn’t have the money.
“Five bits.”
The drits around my neck snuggled closer to me, adding its warmth to my body. Reaching up, I stroked its head, already hating that I was becoming attached and I’d only belonged to this animal for mere minutes. Having a pet on this journey through space would keep me entertained and from feeling so lonely at times, but there was no way I could borrow any more money from Kilani, and I couldn’t allow him to pay for the animal, not when it was mine.
When I looked to the shopkeeper to let him know I couldn’t keep the drits, I found him sticking the five bits into a pouch at
his waist while Ki tucked his extra into a pocket of his uniform that I hadn’t noticed. He caught me staring and grinned. Eyes stinging, my vision blurred as I blinked to keep from letting tears slide down my cheeks.
“Thanks, Ki,” I blubbered, stroking the animals head again. “I owe you.”
His grin softened into an understanding small smile. “You owe me nothing for this purchase. Consider this a gift of apology. Among my people, when a severe wrong has been committed, the person who is responsible for the wrong offers a gift to the one who was wronged. This is part of my gift to you.”
The drits took that moment to nuzzle my cheek. “Okay, I can accept that. Now let’s go purchase the rest of your gift.”
He eyed me warily for a moment longer. “And what’s that?”
“Dritz accessories.”
While purchasing items for my new pet, Kilani had spotted Hasak, the Lutherian who’d caught me when I’d fallen on the ship. He’d called the young man over and had him assist in carrying my items to the ship while Kilani finished showing me the village. All the while, the drits stayed glued to my neck. Sometimes he chattered, other times he slept, his tail curled around my throat like a choker so he wouldn’t fall off.
The rest of the tour consisted of what could be described as the Intak’s version of an outdoor art gallery. Some of the pieces were just as unique and “out there” as some art I’d seen on Earth. Next was a flower garden with the most exquisite and bright flowers that I’d ever seen in my life. An insect that actually resembled a butterfly twittered past us, which got my drits’s attention. It leapt from my shoulder and scampered after the butterfly, but before he could run out of sight, the drits returned to me, leaping back up to my shoulder.
We hadn’t made it quite halfway through the garden when clouds moved in and raindrops began to pepper us. I was worried about being soaked through before reaching the ship when Kilani activated his full uniform, reminding me I could do the same. The only one still exposed was my poor dritz. Without my hair to hide under, he was being pelted by the large drops.
Taking him off my shoulder, I cupped the small creature in my hands as best as I could and strode faster down the streets. Passing on the outskirts of the square, we found it much easier to traverse as anyone who could had taken shelter nearby in homes, or under their booths’ roof. The Lutharians had all activated their full uniforms and continued browsing the wares as they wouldn’t be drenched.
Once on the ship again, I found my way to Kilani’s quarters. All of the drits’ new items sat on the bed, ready for me to dig through them. However, first I made a beeline to the bathroom to grab a towel to dry the poor creature who’d still managed to become a damp, drippy mess. Even after it was dried the best I could, I grabbed a second towel and wrapped it up.
Kilani had followed me into my room, so I wasn’t surprised to see him standing inside the doorway, watching me carry my bundle back to the bed where the accessories lay piled. I’d probably had Ki spend too much money, but he’d been just as bad as me, adding supplies onto the growing pile. The drits had enough food to last a month, bedding of its own, little toys it could chase around, and material that Kilani said his sister could use to help me dress the critter up. He’d shaken his head at the idea, but if I was going to have a pet, I was going to dress it up.
And considering I couldn’t keep calling it an “it”, I sat on the bed and flipped the creature over and studied him. “How do you tell the gender on these things?”
Kilani peeked over my shoulder. “It’s male.”
“Good to know.” I wrapped him back up and stared at his angular features. “Since this is our space voyage together, I think I’m going to name you Spock.”
“How does Spock have anything to do with Space?” Ki asked, stepping back.
I shrugged. “It’s from some movies and TV shows back home. Spock was an alien and one of my favorite characters.”
“I don’t understand most of that. Okay, I don’t understand any of it, but if you want his name to be Spock, then Spock it will be.” A small buzzing sound echoed from Ki’s wrist comm unit and Maltak’s voice came across it.
“Captain, incoming communication from home base. Please come to the deck to view.”
Ki lifted his wrist to his mouth and spoke. “I’ll be right there.” Once the message was delivered, he turned to me. “Will you be okay by yourself?”
“I usually am,” I laughed, but Kilani’s head shaking stopped me.
“I mean, will you be okay if no one is waiting to assist you in the corridor?”
My eyes widened until I was sure my eyeballs would pop out of my head. “You mean I won’t have a babysitter?”
“Yes. I need Maltak on the deck still, and most everyone else I trust is either busy or off the ship.”
My head was nodding even as he spoke. “You bet I’ll be okay. I mean, I’ve waited for this moment the entire time I’ve been on board.”
Rolling his eyes, Ki waved open the door. “Please stay out of trouble. Your newfound freedom as you see it is only temporary.”
“And I’ll enjoy every second of it.”
The door closed, leaving me alone with Spock, who was still cuddled up in the towel. Even with the small critter, the room was still too quiet. I hadn’t yet found a way to make noise so that it felt less empty and lonely. Depending on how much longer I’d be stuck on this ship, I’d either bring the problem up to Ki, or I’d leave it alone.
“Well, Spock, what do you think we should do?” I asked the drits, lifting it up to face level. “Clean up your belongings? And this room? Probably a good idea. It needs it. And I need clean clothes…” Most were dirty by now and actually tossed in the hamper. However, what few clean clothes I had were still either laying on the floor or falling out of dresser drawers.
Ignoring the clothes, I went to work on sorting through Spock’s items, choosing one of my dresser drawers to empty out and sliding his belongings inside. Halfway through, he struggled out of his towel and took his place around my neck again. He nudged at the leather of my necklace, so I gently pushed his face away from it.
“Don’t even think about it,” I told him, cupping the gemstone in my hand. “This is special. It’s the prettiest thing I’ve ever owned, so no chewing.”
Once that was done, I finished cleaning my room. It hadn’t looked so spotless in ages. Mom worked two jobs, so she was never home to see the state of the room, and when she was, she was too tired to care. Thinking of Mom brought on another wave of melancholy that I refused to face yet again.
“Okay, you, let’s teach you a few tricks,” I muttered to Spock, picking out a small toy that was meant for a cat instead of my drits. “I think I know just the spot.”
There wasn’t anything to write with, and I wasn’t sure the translation tech would even work on written languages, so I hoped Ki would call me on the comm unit before freaking out that I was missing. It wasn’t like I was going searching for trouble. I was in search of a place to teach my pet new tricks.
By now, I knew the route to the spare room by heart. I passed several of the crew members on my way, most of whom gave me a smile or a nod. We’d come a long way since my first few days on the ship when everyone stared at me like I was the black sheep or the ugly duckling. Now I felt more like a member of the crew, though I didn’t pull my weight by far.
Like I’d thought, the spare room was empty since most of the crew were likely still in the village or at their posts on the ship. Once inside, I let the room choose where it thought I wanted to be the most. I wasn’t shocked at all when I found myself in the forest behind my house on Earth. Of course the house wasn’t there since I was deep in the woods, but being somewhere familiar in nature was comforting.
“Okay you, let’s learn how to play fetch,” I told Spock, picking him up off my shoulder while I further explained the game.
The storekeeper who’d sold him to me had assured me that drits were smart creatures and very easy to train. He�
��d been right. Within ten minutes Spock was a pro at fetch. No matter if I threw the toy behind a tree where he couldn’t see it, it didn’t matter, he’d do his running hop after it and bring it back a few seconds later. He enjoyed himself so much that I lost track of time, and only when my arm was tired from throwing the little toy as hard as I could, did I call an end to our fun. With one trick down, I was excited to teach Spock more, but not now. I’d built up an appetite, and if I had time before we left, I wanted to convince Kilani, or someone else if he was busy, to take me back to buy more meat. I’d owe whoever took me, but I’d find a way to get off this ship again.
Since the hallways were still pretty empty, I decided to play with a few of the suit options as I walked. It wasn’t my brightest move since I’d finally stopped tripping over the stairs, but curiosity was going to be my downfall. So, when I slammed into another, much larger person as I walked way too fast and wasn’t paying attention, I was thankful my helmet was in place as I smacked my head into him.
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” I stammered as a growl rose up his chest and he turned to me. He was certainly the largest Lutharian I’d seen yet, so either I’d missed him all this time or he wasn’t a regular member of this ship.
“How dare you touch me,” he barked, grabbing hold of my arm in a crushing grip even the armored uniform couldn’t hinder.
“Let me go,” I gasped, attempting to pry his fingers loose with no avail. They were like a metal cuff attached to my arm.
“Cammie?” a voice asked from further down the corridor before he yelled, “Cammie!”
I knew that voice: Hasak. My Lutharian savior rushed forward, grabbing the arm that held me while kicking out with his leg to the back of my attacker’s knees. It didn’t affect the strange Lutharian except to tick him off further. He released me and turned on Hasak.
“This is an outrage. If this is how Kilani is running his ship now, then I will speak to the council on this.” He grabbed Hasak by the throat as he spoke and threw him across the corridor where the young man crumpled to the ground.