by Marc Secchia
“Oh – crud, Tomaxx! I had no idea.”
“Ugh, nobody told you? Sorry about my big, flapping mouth. That was bad.”
“I’ll survive – uh, Yane? He’s alive?”
“Yep.”
She searched his eyes. “How bad?”
“They’re working on a complete rebuild of his right arm, the jaw and the right half of his face. The little poxurix is lucky to be alive! And freaking ungrateful about it.” Well, that figures. “Figures, as far as he’s concerned. He claimed to have been duped into the attack, thinking they planned just to give you a rough time and release you.”
Alodeé stared as he unconsciously repeated her thought.
Could – Tomaxx, can you hear this? Figures?
Scratching his neck, he said, “We explored for 6,320 kloms on the best trajectory projections we had available. Found sweet blow all. Then one day, out of the violet, Tamanzi just … flipped. She went absolutely freaking crazy – raving, frothing at the mouth, the works. Dymand tried to stop her and nearly got himself killed. She plasma-blasted Asmurti’s leg above the knee –” he indicated the spot “– and blew up the Nav computer as well. Blew a hole right through Isska. At the same time, there was this awful crackling sound – from inside her skull, I mean. She just keeled over.”
“Wow.”
“Your Dad stabilised her and Asmurti and helped Isska treat themselves. The shot missed the budling by some miracle, but Isska was pretty badly hurt. Asmurti lost the leg. We just weren’t equipped for an injury like that. Took us nearly three weeks to navigate our way back pretty much by dead reckoning. Maruski’s feline senses got us to the right atmospheric level, while Asmurti was doing star charts from her stretcher. I mean, we couldn’t go on … do you understand? I’m sorry.”
She squeezed his fingers. “Tomaxx, I’m sure you did your best.”
“Were we even close?”
“About 17 kilo-kloms short,” she said drily.
Mere stroll around the corner.
He rubbed his head again. “I … I’m sorry we didn’t make it out there, Alodeé. You must’ve had quite the survival adventure.”
“It isn’t your fault, Tomaxx.” Especially not since she had continued travelling in the opposite direction, for ages. “Yep. Quite the story. I truly believe I found what I was meant to find. So … let me guess. Medic Tamanzi’s husband used her as an experimental subject?”
“Yep. Without her consent or knowledge, we think. It gets worse. One of the aspects of her implant was a recording and reporting facility. We discovered and traced transmissions from her private quarters up to Hazmuri Falls –” she muttered furiously beneath her breath “– where someone, we suspect our friend Farinku, was keeping tabs on her. Maybe it was some kind of revenge on the part of her husband. Send her off with this explosive secret inside her head and a handler to control her. Guess they found out a lot about people that way, including you and your … more unusual … characteristics.”
“Tomaxx –”
“Shh.” He touched her lips gently. “I’m ace with that, alright? Don’t look so worried. I knew ages ago that you were no Class 1.”
“You did?”
“Come on, be serious. Have you seen yourself move?”
Were you checking out my legs, Mister Muscles? Interesting conversation for another time …
“Alright. Look, what if I turn out like … different?”
“Different how?”
“Like my mother. Paws, wings, Dragon breath … Tomaxx, how the hells is this supposed to work between us? I mean, you … I’m a long ways more than fond of you, alright? Have been forever. I just never really worked it out. By the time I did, I still couldn’t go there, because of Ash.”
The pearl white eyes considered her carefully.
I’m a freak! And I’m so scared, Tomaxx! Scared of what you’ll say …
Narrowing his eyes, he said, “Am I … getting something from you, Alodeé? A … I’ve no idea what to call it. A vibe?”
“A vibe?”
Reaching out, he cupped her chin with his fingers and stared deep into her eyes. Talk about uncomfortable. Intense! “Do it again. Make your eyes do that thing.”
“Uh …”
“Listen, I’m totally in your holo screen with the weirdness, alright?” Here he went with the earnest expression again. It turned her insides into molten goo. “I happen to be the guy who thinks you’re amazing, beautiful, talented, a whole galaxy’s worth of the most incredible person I know and yep, so your mother might be Dragoness. Actually, that’s freaking ace. But this bit isn’t quite the same. Are you trying to – look, I’m sorry if this sounds bad, but are you trying to manipulate my mind?”
He heard her!
Had he not been holding her jaw, it might have dropped right off. What were the chances? Tomaxx, unfortunately, grabbed the wrong end of the throttle.
His shoulders slumped. “Freak and then some! Have I just blown it with you?”
No, I’m a telepath.
“Alo, speak to me. Look, I thought you wanted this. I just want everything to be out in the open, alright?”
Tomaxx, I am speaking to you.
He rubbed his neck … same gesture. Alodeé nearly jumped off her chair in excitement. Somehow, this big chunk of gorgeousness was reading her, to some degree and it made her heart dance like crazy. Saying nothing, she raised his fingers to the pulse at her neck.
“Whoa, that’s something! However, it’s also off the subject. Are you avoiding again, Alo? Stop being weird and talk to me!”
Gripping his hand with every ounce of her enhanced strength, she forced him to stay where he was. Reaching out as he had done, she touched his chin. “Please?”
“There, actual speech. Was that so hard?” His pearl eyes rose to touch her violet gaze. “Women! Honestly.”
Deep, deep breath.
Tomaxx.
Nothing … or … maybe a picture? Men were supposed to be visual thinkers.
I see the corner of his lips, just there on the left where they curve upward to that oh-so-yummy dimple – I want to kiss you right there, Tomaxx!
His fingers rose to touch the corner of his lip. “You … you want to – Holy Resurrection Dawn! Alodeé!”
Are you hearing me now? I’m a telepath.
“Loud and clear,” he whispered.
“It’s your choice,” she said. “I would never knowingly –”
“Shh,” he said mischievously. “Let me just try this and see if it works.”
“If what works?” Dymand asked innocently, walking into the temporary medical ward without knocking. They sprang apart. “Don’t let me stop you. Why, you’re both extremely pink. Oh – green, yet pink. What an interesting colour you’ve turned, daughter dearest.”
Alodeé smacked him for that.
Chapter 29
Standard 1301.08.01.09 Cal Week 28 – Surprise!
FIVE DAYS OF CONFINEMENT later, the plasma and photonic cannons fell silent at last. Ah, one final, asthmatic cough – naturally, coming the min they cracked open the temporary doors.
Yep. Her Dad was the one who swaggered out, calling, “Come on, my lovely!” to a hulking Dragoness of Emerald who was not so much lurking behind his shoulder as admiring the tight fit of his uniform trousers. Alodeé stifled an urge to roll her eyes. Parents. What kind of example was this?
There had been a few mishaps and more than a few misunderstandings, some related to the close quarters, hard feelings and a lingering sense of Classism that Dymand told her was never likely to be entirely excised from the Humanoid spirit. People were people, after all. Dragons were Dragons. Lightning Pygmies – big Dad grin – were trouble. As it turned out, they did not have much of a sense of personal property. If something was lying around unused, fair game. Like kids’ toys, clothing and tools. Plus, a few of the teenagers had quickly decided to discover what kissing in one another’s cultures involved. Suffice it to say, Pygmy teeth were heck of sharp and those boys, a
s she well knew, were not shy souls.
Cultural incidents notwithstanding, 57 Humanoids, 21 Pygmies and 32 Dragons succumbed to their injuries during this time despite the best treatment available.
Dymand had checked the scans before venturing out. Nonetheless, he still turned the opening of a simple door into an affair for the roguish of heart. Small speech, immoderate swagger with the CLB-4001 held at the ready, a weapon far, far less dangerous than the one he had married.
The super-migration had passed by, leaving great piles of rotting, often chewed-upon bodies in its wake. Alodeé suspected that the next few weeks would be ones for a cloth over the mouth. Hopefully, much of this could be cleaned up and dumped reasonably quickly. She held her boyfriend’s hand. Yep. Official title. While the leadership had decided to take matters of Class slowly, they had issued an official statement clarifying the old, unwritten beliefs into four broad categories, jokingly labelled ‘no problem,’ ‘maybe,’ ‘definitely not,’ and her personal favourite and new landing place, ‘we don’t have a clue.’
Clue and ‘U’ rhymed.
Raising his rifle to his shoulder in a single smooth motion, Dymand sighted a shot and downed a carnoraptor soaring a good klom off. Not a show-off at all, no. Not her Dad.
“Mmm, nice shooting,” Mom complimented him.
That tone definitely did not help.
Alodeé realised that the photon cannons must have been switched off for the time being, until necessary tests had been conducted.
Isska’s voice entered her ear, “Mermaids just checked in. They say that carnoraptors really aren’t very fond of water. Also, Chimzi sends her greetings and asks when you’re going to visit and prove that Dragons really do exist?”
“Patch me over the Comms,” Samodeé purred.
“Check, ma’am.”
“Don’t ma’am me, Isska. I swatted your folds when you were barely a budling! I’m Samodeé or ‘that awesome Dragoness.’ Clear?”
“Check, Samodeé.” Cheeky chuckle, Isska? Playing with real fire. “Patching through – ooh, got a visual.”
In a sec, a large holo formed in front of the crowd issuing out of the former blast doors. It split in half. One half showed Chimzi’s pretty grin as she primped her sapphire hair. She waved happily and asked if anyone was there. In a sec, Isska had a drone up and a second picture stabilised in the other half, zeroed in on … oh, great. Her and Tomaxx.
The Mermaid’s face lit up. “Ooh! Goody! You two finally showed a bit of fin to one another? Took you long enough – oh, he’s so swishy, Alodeé! Give him a kiss especially from me. Dawn’s fires, Tomaxx!”
He just about kept an eye roll at bay. “Dawn’s fires, Chimzi! There are only about 2,000 people listening to you.”
“And Dragons,” said Samodeé, clearly trying to get into the picture and failing rather badly. “Isska, shake an appendage, would you? All you can see are my toes.”
“Stat, ma … ah, awesome Dragoness!”
She’s so got the measure of Isska.
Tomaxx grinned down at her. “So she has.”
She squeezed his fingers. Dawn’s fires to you, awesome boyfriend.
His eyes crinkled at the corners. “Had I known how much trouble you’d turn out to be, Alomonster, I would have grabbed your amazing green behind much earlier.”
“You haven’t yet – Tomaxx!”
She smacked his hand off, ultra-speed. Oh. Still wearing armour, actually – and her embarrassed grin was now splashed all over that holo for the entire Settlement to see. She really needed to talk to Isska about their camera skills.
Chimzi howled with laughter. “Saw that wave coming 50 kloms off! Ooh, that’s … quite a big leg behind …” The drone backed up vigorously, the pan shot widening rapidly to take in Samodeé hulking behind a certain misbehaving Oraman. “Canid-sucking – eeeee!” Screaming at a near-ultrasonic pitch, the Mermaid disappeared off the screen.
“Guess I brushed my fangs a little too well this morning,” Samodeé quipped.
Tomaxx gave a great guffaw of laughter, as did Dymand and many others.
Isska said, “Shall I patch her in again, awesome Dragoness?”
“Later, thanks,” she said. “And Isska?”
“Samodeé?”
“You can drop the ‘awesome.’ ”
“I’m sorry, awesome Dragoness, I did not quite catch that,” they lied, blatantly making hissing, popping and crackling sounds through the Comms.
Even Isska caught this mood.
Dad rubbed his hands together. “Alright, folks. Looks like the air is clear. Enough gabbing and playing. Let’s form up in our crews and start straightening out this mess. Samodeé, warm up the Dragons. Controller Yazin, take command of the base systems. Ssirinssar, enough paddling in our water storage tanks. Let’s get you into the lake between the Residential blocks. Come on, folks! It’s a beautiful day for garbage shovelling.”
No kidding, Dad.
“Dawn’s fires, Alodeé.”
“Dawn’s fires, Asmurti. How’s the leg?”
“Phantom pains,” she grimaced, indicating the stump. Her antigrav chair whirred to a halt beside her. “Getting some pretty spiffy bionic mods specced for when we can get Industrial up and running again.”
“I can only imagine.”
“I’m thinking to include a rocket pack so that I can stand a chance of keeping up with you,” she grinned. “Or maybe a few built-in weapons systems and some serious data storage – of course, a range of direct nerve inductor ports to plug in with shipboard systems at real-time speeds. Nerd-errific plus, right?”
Alodeé squeezed her friend’s shoulder. “You’ll be ripping past me in no time.”
“As if.”
“Say, if you need any design help, count me in. I’ve got some really ace ideas for improvements I’d like to make to you –” Asmurti punched her leg “– you know, edit out a few less desirable parts, install a personality upgrade or two … seriously, you were bad enough before. Now you’re going all bionic on me on top of that?”
“When are you going all Dragon on me, lady?”
That would be a mystery for the ages. “Not really a question for which I have any actual answers, Asmurti. One day … one step at a time.”
First, she planned to enjoy having a mother around for the first time since forever. Being a family again. Not that Mama Dragon would fit inside their front door. She needed to chat to Dad about grabbing new quarters, stat. Quarters large enough to accommodate five rambunctious additional family members. Maybe back in the old colony vessel there might be a storage room they could convert for the flying monsters?
“You going out there?”
The soft question interrupted her reverie.
Alodeé realised she was staring off at the horizon. Ignoring her friend. Imagining doing things that only Class 10 Avian Humanoids had ever imagined doing. Her Eagle friend, Zarine, had been around yesterday to check in on her. Sweet featherbrain.
“Sorry, I was far away.”
“Yep. As usual. If you’re ever in need of a good pilot …”
“You’re top of my list. Check.”
She smiled at Asmurti, yet how could she tell her that when she went searching for her people, her kind – as she knew she must, one day – it would likely be flying Dragonback? Mom, me, all the kids, none of us know who we truly are …
“The kids?”
Oh. She had spoken aloud? Alodeé said, “Yep, please keep this under full encryption, alright? Mom brought five dragonets along. They’re her baby Dragons, just a few weeks old. We’re not sure who the father is.”
A genetic test could tell all. Oh! Hadn’t thought that far.
Asmurti whispered, “Does your Dad know?”
“Not yet.” Hunkering down, she leaned close to say, “Actually, I have a really, really naughty idea. Do you think you and Isska could help me out with a sort of planet-sized favour? We’d need to involve my Mom, too.”
Her Dad wasn’t the
only pirate around Settlement Central.
* * * *
Samodeé acted wary, worried and snappish. Dragon emotions really were in a whole class of their own. Plus, her conspiracy now extended to include Ssirinssar and dozens of other Dragons – fairly much every Dragon about to rise over the edge of the island and wing in to Central.
What a glorious dawn. The white-hot sun slowly peeked above the horizon, spreading tongues of fire far across the sky, burnishing the rim of each planetary ring a hot, furnace orange. One could actually see a good number of houses and buildings across the base now, but the stench of the nearby jungles was more than ripe. Fragrance plus. All the predators which had gone into hiding and survived, had emerged to feast, but it was far from enough to make a noticeable dent in the piles of rotting meat lying everywhere. Good for the soil, Dad suggested. Reading pink text on the pink holo screen, so to speak. With extra sparkles.
The Dragoness of Emerald nodded to her. “What’s taking them so long? Come on, Alo.”
Hefting her backpack as if it weighed nothing at all, even though it contained a specially programmed medbot, Alodeé mounted up with an eager bound. “See you in a min, Dad.”
“Be careful, lovely ladies,” he murmured.
Ooh, debonair Dad. He totally rocked the Asiatic Planets look – jet black hair, chiselled cheekbones, deep and mysterious eyes. Sensitive to her mother’s reaction, she grinned as the tone of her rumbling fires notched up a gear or two. She’d be smoking at the nostrils in a min.
She blew him a kiss as they winged off.
The min they were out of sight, Samodeé furled her wings and hurtled away to meet the incoming flight of Dragons. They plummeted and twisted between the vines linking a flotilla of over 100 green islands, of which Central was part, before cutting past the perfect white plume of a waterfall. So few avians and reptoids out. The carnoraptors had certainly lived up to their reputation, consuming everything in sight. Skirting a bed of floating yellow flower clusters which boasted a nasty, carnivorous habit of hoovering up the local insect population, Samodeé jinked to whizz down a narrow cutting between two cliffs. Thick aerial roots trailed off the island here, but Alodeé had already caught sight of the group they had left behind, the injured Dragons. Not all. Some were still too injured to fly.